CVE-2023-51663 : Security Advisory and Response

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2023-51663, a vulnerability in Hail authentication that can be bypassed by changing the email address.

Understanding CVE-2023-51663

CVE-2023-51663 highlights an authentication bypass issue in Hail, an open-source data analysis tool, allowing users to manipulate email addresses to gain unauthorized access.

What is CVE-2023-51663?

The vulnerability in Hail allows users to change their email addresses, potentially granting access to resources in clusters they should not have access to. While they cannot access private data, they can create accounts and run jobs in unauthorized clusters.

The Impact of CVE-2023-51663

The impact of this vulnerability includes unauthorized access to computational resources, running jobs in unauthorized clusters, and potentially creating Azure Tenants with certain permissions.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-51663

The CVSS v3.1 base score for CVE-2023-51663 is 5.3, with a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based, with low attack complexity and availability impact. The vulnerability does not require any privileges or user interaction.

Vulnerability Description

Hail relies on OpenID Connect email addresses from ID tokens for user verification. By changing their email addresses, users can create accounts in unauthorized clusters.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Hail versions prior to 0.2.127. Users with these versions are at risk of potential unauthorized access.

Exploitation Mechanism

By changing their email addresses to domains matching the organization's cluster domains, attackers can manipulate Hail's authentication process to gain access to computational resources.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-51663, immediate steps should be taken to address the vulnerability and prevent unauthorized access.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should update Hail to version 0.2.127 or newer to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should review and restrict permissions related to cluster access.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing multi-factor authentication, regular security audits, and user training on secure practices can enhance the overall security posture against similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitoring for security updates and promptly applying patches provided by the Hail project can help protect systems from known vulnerabilities.