CVE-2023-5189 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE involves an insecure galaxy-importer tarfile extraction vulnerability in the Ansible automation hub, potentially leading to file overwrite due to a path traversal issue.

Understanding CVE-2023-5189

This section will cover the details surrounding CVE-2023-5189, including the vulnerability description, impact, affected systems, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-5189?

CVE-2023-5189 highlights a vulnerability in Ansible related to extracting tarballs. Attackers could exploit this flaw by manipulating tarballs to create symlinks during the import process, resulting in potential file overwrites on the system.

The Impact of CVE-2023-5189

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as moderate. With a CVSS base score of 6.3, the issue poses a medium severity threat to affected systems. While confidentiality impact is low, integrity impact is high, and user interaction is required for exploitation.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-5189

In this section, we delve into the technical details of CVE-2023-5189, exploring the vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from an insecure galaxy-importer tarfile extraction process within Ansible. Crafted malicious tarballs could trigger symlink creation, potentially leading to file overwrites on the target system.

Affected Systems and Versions

The following products are affected by CVE-2023-5189:

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.4 for RHEL 8 and RHEL 9
Red Hat Satellite 6

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious tarball and leveraging the galaxy importer functionality in Ansible Automation Hub. This could result in dropping symlinks on disk and overwriting files.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard systems against CVE-2023-5189, it is crucial to take immediate steps, adhere to long-term security practices, and apply necessary patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Ensure all Ansible components are updated to the latest versions.
Implement access controls and restrict permissions for tarball extraction.
Monitor file system changes for unexpected modifications.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
Train staff on secure file handling practices and threat awareness.
Employ least privilege principles to limit exposure to potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Refer to the Red Hat Security Advisory RHSA-2023:7773 for official patches and mitigations addressing CVE-2023-5189. Stay informed about security updates to protect your systems from known vulnerabilities.