CVE-2022-23944 in ShenYu
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2022
User can access /plugin api without authentication. This issue affected Apache ShenYu 2.4.0 and 2.4.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-23944 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within Apache ShenYu versions 2.4.0 and 2.4.1. This issue resides in the plugin API endpoint which fails to properly validate user credentials, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. The flaw directly impacts the security posture of systems relying on Apache ShenYu as an API gateway, potentially exposing critical infrastructure components to malicious actors who can exploit this weakness to gain elevated privileges.
This authentication bypass vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the plugin management interface. The technical implementation fails to enforce proper authentication checks before granting access to the /plugin API endpoint, which serves as a gateway for managing various plugin configurations and administrative operations. According to CWE-287, this represents a weakness in authentication mechanisms where the system does not properly verify user identities before granting access to protected resources. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor that allows any unauthenticated user to interact with plugin management functions that should only be accessible to authorized administrators.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to perform arbitrary plugin management operations without proper authorization. This includes the ability to install, modify, or remove plugins that could potentially compromise the entire API gateway infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious plugins, modify existing plugin configurations to redirect traffic, or disable security features. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique where an attacker can gain access to administrative functions through an authentication bypass, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the API gateway, as unauthorized modifications to plugin configurations could disrupt service operations or create security vulnerabilities within the gateway itself.
Organizations using affected Apache ShenYu versions should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions where available, implementing additional network-level access controls, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to plugin endpoints. The recommended approach involves deploying authentication proxies, restricting network access to plugin endpoints, and implementing comprehensive logging to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review existing plugin configurations and ensure that only necessary plugins are active, reducing the attack surface. Additionally, network segmentation should be implemented to isolate API gateway components from less secure network zones, following the principle of least privilege as outlined in cybersecurity best practices and industry standards.