CVE-2022-1723 in drawio
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2022
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in GitHub repository jgraph/drawio prior to 18.0.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1723 represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw discovered in the jgraph/drawio repository, which is widely used for creating diagrams and visualizations. This issue affects versions prior to 18.0.6 and stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input that is processed by the server-side components of the application. The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the application's behavior by forcing it to make unintended requests to internal or external systems that would normally be inaccessible to external users. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes URLs or resource identifiers without proper sanitization, creating an avenue for malicious actors to exploit the server's network connectivity. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-918, which specifically addresses server-side request forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to properly validate and sanitize external resource references.
The technical implementation of this SSRF vulnerability enables attackers to bypass normal access controls by leveraging the server's ability to communicate with internal network resources. When a user provides a crafted URL parameter that is subsequently processed by the drawio application, the server may be coerced into making HTTP requests to internal systems such as databases, internal APIs, or other network services. This occurs because the application does not adequately validate or restrict the destinations to which it will make requests, allowing attackers to redirect the server's network traffic to arbitrary endpoints. The vulnerability can be exploited to enumerate internal network services, access sensitive data, or potentially escalate privileges within the internal network environment. Attackers can leverage this flaw to probe internal systems, access restricted resources, or even perform further attacks through the compromised server.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1723 extends beyond simple data exfiltration, as it fundamentally compromises the network isolation that should exist between external users and internal systems. Organizations using vulnerable versions of drawio may experience unauthorized access to internal services, including but not limited to database servers, cloud service endpoints, or other internal APIs that the server can reach. The vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in environments where the drawio server has access to sensitive internal resources, as it provides attackers with a potential pathway to escalate their attacks. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 which describes application layer protocol usage for command and control communications, where the compromised server becomes a conduit for further network exploration and attack execution. The vulnerability essentially transforms the drawio server into a potential attacker-controlled proxy for internal network reconnaissance and exploitation activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-1723 must focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent untrusted data from being used in server-side requests. Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 18.0.6 or later, which includes patches specifically addressing the SSRF vulnerability. Network-level mitigations should include implementing firewall rules that restrict outbound connections from the drawio server to internal network resources, particularly blocking access to common internal services such as metadata services, database ports, and other sensitive endpoints. Additionally, implementing proper URL validation and restricting the protocols that can be used for external requests helps to prevent exploitation. The implementation of a web application firewall or similar security controls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering suspicious requests. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that proper network segmentation practices are maintained to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.