CVE-2023-51386 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2023-51386, a vulnerability found in Sandbox Accounts for Events that allows privilege escalation to read running events data.

Understanding CVE-2023-51386

Sandbox Accounts for Events vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to sensitive data which can have a severe impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

What is CVE-2023-51386?

Sandbox Accounts for Events provides temporary AWS accounts to authenticated users, allowing them to read data from the events table via the events API. This could lead to unauthorized access to information about upcoming events.

The Impact of CVE-2023-51386

The vulnerability poses a high risk as it allows users to gain insights into planned events, timeframes, budgets, and owner email addresses. Unauthorized access to this data can lead to privacy breaches and unauthorized participation in events.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-51386

The vulnerability is rated with a CVSS base score of 7.8, indicating a high severity level with confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The attack complexity is low, and it requires low privileges to exploit.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in Sandbox Accounts for Events allows authenticated users to escalate privileges and access data from the events table, potentially exposing sensitive information.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: awslabs
Product: sandbox-accounts-for-events
Affected Versions: < 1.1.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending request payloads to the events API, bypassing access controls and retrieving data from the events table.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2023-51386 and implement long-term security practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Sandbox Accounts for Events to version 1.1.0 or higher to patch the vulnerability.
Monitor access to the events API and review user permissions to prevent unauthorized data access.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.
Educate users on secure data access practices to prevent unauthorized data retrieval.

Patching and Updates

Regularly apply security patches and updates to ensure that known vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.