CVE-2023-48705 : What You Need to Know

A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been discovered in Nautobot, a Network Source of Truth and Network Automation Platform. This vulnerability impacts users of Nautobot versions prior to 1.6.6 and 2.0.5.

Understanding CVE-2023-48705

Nautobot is a web application designed for network automation, and the XSS vulnerability arises from improper use of Django's

mark_safe()

API.

What is CVE-2023-48705?

Nautobot versions earlier than 1.6.6 or 2.0.5 are affected by a cross-site scripting vulnerability. Attackers could inject malicious payloads, such as JavaScript code, into custom links, job buttons, and computed fields, potentially leading to unauthorized code execution.

The Impact of CVE-2023-48705

This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system, compromising data integrity and potentially leading to further exploitation of the network.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-48705

The vulnerability's details include:

Vulnerability Description

The incorrect use of

mark_safe()

in rendering user-generated content allows for XSS attacks. Maintainers have addressed this by replacing insecure calls with

format_html()

to prevent malicious code execution.

Affected Systems and Versions

Users of Nautobot versions < 1.6.6 and >= 2.0.0, < 2.0.5 are vulnerable to this XSS issue.

Exploitation Mechanism

By crafting malicious payloads, attackers can exploit this vulnerability through custom links, job buttons, and computed fields in user-generated content.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-48705, follow these steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Nautobot 1.6.x instances to version 1.6.6
Upgrade Nautobot 2.0.x instances to version 2.0.5
Apply object permissions to limit user access to vulnerable content types

Long-Term Security Practices

Enforce secure coding practices, sanitize user inputs, and regularly update Nautobot to the latest version to prevent XSS vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Keep Nautobot installations up to date with the latest security patches and advisories to ensure protection against known vulnerabilities.