CVE-2023-50251 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A detailed overview of the CVE-2023-50251 highlighting the vulnerability in php-svg-lib prior to version 0.5.1, leading to a possible Denial of Service (DoS) attack due to infinite recursion when parsing SVG documents.

Understanding CVE-2023-50251

This section delves into the nature of the CVE-2023-50251 vulnerability, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-50251?

CVE-2023-50251 affects the php-svg-lib library before version 0.5.1, allowing attackers to trigger infinite recursion by exploiting specific attributes in an SVG document, potentially leading to system resource exhaustion.

The Impact of CVE-2023-50251

The vulnerability could result in a Denial of Service (DoS) condition by consuming excessive memory resources during the parsing of malicious SVG attributes, impacting system availability and responsiveness.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-50251

This section outlines the specific details related to the vulnerability, affected systems, and the exploitation method.

Vulnerability Description

php-svg-lib versions prior to 0.5.1 are susceptible to infinite recursion when handling attributes in the

use

tag of SVG documents, enabling attackers to overwhelm system resources through memory exhaustion.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts systems using dompdf's php-svg-lib versions earlier than 0.5.1, with versions less than 0.5.1 being marked as affected.

Exploitation Mechanism

By crafting malicious requests that exploit the faulty handling of

use

tag attributes, attackers can trigger an infinite recursion loop, potentially leading to a DoS scenario.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section provides insights into immediate actions and long-term measures to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2023-50251.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update to php-svg-lib version 0.5.1 or later to apply the necessary patch and prevent exploitation of the vulnerability. Additionally, monitoring system resources for unusual spikes in memory usage can help detect potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, regular security audits, and staying informed about security advisories for dependencies can enhance the overall resilience of web applications against similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly checking for updates from the official php-svg-lib repository and promptly applying patches for known vulnerabilities is crucial to maintaining a secure software environment.