CVE-2022-4725 in AWS SDK
Summary
by MITRE • 12/27/2022
A vulnerability was found in AWS SDK 2.59.0. It has been rated as critical. This issue affects the function XpathUtils of the file aws-android-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/util/XpathUtils.java of the component XML Parser. The manipulation leads to server-side request forgery. Upgrading to version 2.59.1 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is c3e6d69422e1f0c80fe53f2d757b8df97619af2b. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier VDB-216737 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4725 represents a critical security flaw within the AWS SDK for Android version 2.59.0, specifically within the XpathUtils component that processes XML data. This issue resides in the aws-android-sdk-core module at the path aws-android-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/util/XpathUtils.java, where the XML parser functionality contains a server-side request forgery vulnerability that could enable attackers to manipulate the parsing process and potentially access internal systems or resources that should remain protected. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of XML input during XPath evaluation, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the XML parser component.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the XpathUtils class failing to properly sanitize or validate XML input before processing XPath queries, which allows attackers to craft malicious XML documents that can trigger unintended network requests or bypass security controls. This flaw specifically affects the XML parsing functionality when the SDK processes XML responses from AWS services or when developers use the SDK to parse external XML data. The vulnerability enables an attacker to construct XML content that, when processed by the XpathUtils function, can cause the SDK to make unintended HTTP requests to arbitrary destinations, effectively creating a server-side request forgery condition that can be leveraged for data exfiltration or internal network reconnaissance.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it affects mobile applications that utilize the AWS SDK for Android, potentially compromising the security of enterprise applications that rely on AWS services for backend operations. Mobile applications using the affected SDK version could become vulnerable to attacks that allow unauthorized access to internal resources or enable attackers to perform reconnaissance activities against the organization's network infrastructure. The vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious XML content received from AWS services, user-supplied XML data, or through supply chain compromises that inject malicious XML into the application's data flow. This creates a substantial risk for organizations that depend on AWS SDK functionality for mobile application development and cloud integration.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading the affected AWS SDK for Android component to version 2.59.1 or later, which includes the patch identified by the commit hash c3e6d69422e1f0c80fe53f2d757b8df97619af2b. Organizations should immediately assess their mobile application portfolios to identify all instances using the vulnerable SDK version and implement the upgrade process as a priority. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation, monitoring for unusual outbound network requests from affected applications, and conducting thorough code reviews to ensure proper XML input validation is implemented in custom code that interacts with XML data. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-915, which describes improper control of dynamic code generation or execution, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage in server-side request forgery scenarios, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls across both network and application layers to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities.