CVE-2024-21634 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE, assigned by GitHub_M, pertains to a vulnerability in the Ion Java StackOverflow, impacting versions of ion-java prior to 1.10.5. The vulnerability is related to the deserialization of Ion data, potentially leading to a denial-of-service attack.

Understanding CVE-2024-21634

This CVE outlines a critical security issue in the Amazon Ion Java implementation, affecting applications that utilize

ion-java

for deserialization of Ion text encoded data.

What is CVE-2024-21634?

The vulnerability in CVE-2024-21634 involves a flaw in

ion-java

versions before 1.10.5, allowing an actor to craft malicious Ion data that can trigger a

StackOverflowError

when processed by the affected application. This could lead to a denial-of-service scenario.

The Impact of CVE-2024-21634

The impact of this vulnerability could result in a high availability impact, with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (High severity). While the integrity and confidentiality are not impacted, the availability of the system is at risk if exploited.

Technical Details of CVE-2024-21634

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from the improper processing of Ion data in the

ion-java

library, leading to a potential denial-of-service condition due to a

StackOverflowError

. The issue can be exploited through specially crafted Ion data.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects versions of Amazon Ion's ion-java prior to 1.10.5. Applications that utilize these vulnerable versions for deserialization of Ion data are at risk of exploitation.

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by creating Ion data that triggers the

StackOverflowError

when processed by the

IonValue

model in the vulnerable

ion-java

versions. This could result in a denial-of-service situation for the targeted application.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard systems from CVE-2024-21634, immediate steps should be taken along with long-term security practices and patching measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

It is recommended not to load data from untrusted or tampered sources to mitigate the risk of exploitation. Additionally, updating to the patched version 1.10.5 of

ion-java

is crucial to address the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, conducting regular security audits, and monitoring for any suspicious activity can help enhance the overall security posture and prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Ensuring that the

ion-java

library is updated to version 1.10.5 or higher is essential to mitigate the CVE-2024-21634 vulnerability. Regularly applying software patches and updates is vital to stay protected against known security threats.