CVE-2022-46751 in Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 08/21/2023
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection) vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Ivy.This issue affects any version of Apache Ivy prior to 2.5.2. When Apache Ivy prior to 2.5.2 parses XML files - either its own configuration, Ivy files or Apache Maven POMs - it will allow downloading external document type definitions and expand any entity references contained therein when used. This can be used to exfiltrate data, access resources only the machine running Ivy has access to or disturb the execution of Ivy in different ways. Starting with Ivy 2.5.2 DTD processing is disabled by default except when parsing Maven POMs where the default is to allow DTD processing but only to include a DTD snippet shipping with Ivy that is needed to deal with existing Maven POMs that are not valid XML files but are nevertheless accepted by Maven. Access can be be made more lenient via newly introduced system properties where needed. Users of Ivy prior to version 2.5.2 can use Java system properties to restrict processing of external DTDs, see the section about "JAXP Properties for External Access restrictions" inside Oracle's "Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) Security Guide".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2022-46751 represents a critical improper restriction of XML external entity reference flaw in Apache Ivy, a widely used dependency management tool within the Apache ecosystem. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-611 weakness category, specifically addressing XML external entity processing issues that can lead to information disclosure and denial of service conditions. The flaw exists in Apache Ivy versions prior to 2.5.2 where the software fails to properly restrict XML external entity references during XML parsing operations, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system through carefully crafted XML content.
Apache Ivy's vulnerability stems from its default XML parsing behavior which permits the processing of external document type definitions and entity references contained within XML files. This includes parsing of Ivy configuration files, Ivy dependency files, and Apache Maven POM files that are commonly used in software development environments. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform blind XPath injection attacks where external entities can be referenced to access local resources or exfiltrate sensitive data from systems running vulnerable versions of Ivy. The attack vector specifically targets the XML parsing mechanisms that are integral to Ivy's dependency resolution and configuration management capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can be leveraged to disrupt normal Ivy execution processes through resource exhaustion or by causing unexpected behavior in the dependency resolution workflow. Attackers can potentially access resources that are normally restricted to the machine running Ivy, including local files, network resources, or system information that should remain isolated from the parsing process. This represents a significant security risk in development environments where Ivy is used to manage dependencies for applications, as it could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive build configurations or even compromise the integrity of the dependency resolution process itself.
The security implications of CVE-2022-46751 align with ATT&CK techniques focused on privilege escalation and information gathering through XML processing vulnerabilities. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Ivy face potential exposure to data exfiltration attacks, local file inclusion scenarios, and service disruption through malicious XML content manipulation. The fix implemented in Apache Ivy 2.5.2 addresses this by disabling DTD processing by default, with only specific exceptions for Maven POM parsing where necessary DTD snippets are included to maintain compatibility with existing Maven ecosystem requirements. System administrators can also implement additional protections by configuring Java system properties to restrict external DTD access, following Oracle's JAXP Security Guide recommendations for external access restrictions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate upgrade to Apache Ivy version 2.5.2 or later, which implements proper DTD processing restrictions and default security configurations. Organizations should also implement network-level restrictions to prevent unauthorized access to external resources that could be leveraged in exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of Ivy and ensure proper configuration of Java security properties to restrict external entity processing. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of XML security controls in build and dependency management systems, particularly in environments where automated dependency resolution processes may encounter untrusted XML content from external sources.