CVE-2022-43685 in CKAN
Summary
by MITRE • 11/22/2022
CKAN through 2.9.6 account takeovers by unauthenticated users when an existing user id is sent via an HTTP POST request. This allows a user to take over an existing account including superuser accounts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-43685 represents a critical account takeover flaw within the CKAN (Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network) platform version 2.9.6 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the system, creating a pathway for unauthenticated attackers to assume control of existing user accounts. The flaw arises from insufficient validation of user identifiers during HTTP POST requests, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system's trust in submitted account data without proper authentication or authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a lack of proper input sanitization and validation within the CKAN application's user management functions. When an HTTP POST request is made containing a user identifier, the system fails to verify whether the requesting entity has legitimate authorization to modify or assume control of that specific account. This weakness creates an authentication bypass scenario where an attacker can craft malicious requests targeting known user IDs, including those with elevated privileges such as superuser accounts. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and does not require any prior authentication credentials to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by anyone with access to the system's API endpoints.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it specifically enables attackers to gain administrative control over critical system accounts. When an attacker successfully takes over a superuser account, they acquire complete control over the CKAN instance, including the ability to modify or delete datasets, manage user permissions, alter system configurations, and potentially access sensitive data repositories. This account takeover capability undermines the fundamental security model of the platform, as it allows attackers to operate with the highest level of privileges without detection, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and complete service disruption. The vulnerability affects all user accounts within the CKAN system, with superuser accounts presenting the most severe risk due to their elevated privileges and broad system access capabilities.
Organizations utilizing CKAN versions 2.9.6 or earlier should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to CKAN version 2.9.7 or later, which includes patches specifically designed to address the account takeover flaw. Additionally, system administrators should implement network-level controls such as API rate limiting, request validation, and access control lists to restrict potentially malicious requests. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing). Security teams should also conduct thorough audit reviews of user account activities and implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous login patterns or account modification attempts that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication controls in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive data and user accounts. The flaw highlights how seemingly minor validation gaps can create significant security risks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing and regular vulnerability assessments. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication for privileged accounts, regular security training for administrators, and continuous monitoring of system access logs to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that even well-established platforms can contain critical flaws that require immediate attention and remediation to prevent unauthorized access and maintain system integrity.