CVE-2022-4607 in OGC Web Feature Service
Summary
by MITRE • 12/19/2022
A vulnerability was found in 3D City Database OGC Web Feature Service up to 5.2.0. It has been rated as problematic. This issue affects some unknown processing. The manipulation leads to xml external entity reference. Upgrading to version 5.2.1 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is 246f4e2a97ad81491c00a7ed72ce5e7c7f75050a. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-216215.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4607 resides within the 3D City Database OGC Web Feature Service component, specifically affecting versions up to 5.2.0. This represents a critical security flaw that manifests through improper handling of XML processing within the web service interface. The vulnerability has been classified with a problematic rating due to its potential to enable malicious actors to exploit external entity references within XML documents processed by the service. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly restrict XML external entity processing, creating an avenue for attackers to manipulate the system's XML parser behavior.
The technical flaw exploits the XML external entity (XXE) vulnerability pattern, which is catalogued under CWE-611 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. This weakness allows an attacker to reference external resources through XML entities, potentially enabling data exfiltration, server-side request forgery, or denial of service conditions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the processing of XML documents within the OGC Web Feature Service implementation, where the service fails to properly configure XML parsers to disable external entity resolution. This misconfiguration enables attackers to craft malicious XML payloads that can trigger unintended system behaviors when processed by the vulnerable service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable attackers to perform reconnaissance activities against internal systems, potentially leading to further exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in a 3D city database service means that attackers could potentially access sensitive urban planning data, geographic information systems resources, or other critical infrastructure data managed through the affected platform. The service's role in handling geospatial data makes it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to access detailed urban mapping information or infrastructure data that could be valuable for various malicious purposes including surveillance or targeted attacks against critical infrastructure.
Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol manipulation through XML external entity processing. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to version 5.2.1, which includes the patch identified by the commit hash 246f4e2a97ad81491c00a7ed72ce5e7c7f75050a. This upgrade addresses the root cause by implementing proper XML parser configuration that disables external entity resolution and implements strict input validation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation, web application firewalls, and regular security assessments to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other components of their 3D city database infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper XML processing security configurations in web services and highlights the need for regular security updates to address emerging threats in geospatial information systems.