CVE-2023-1305 in InsightCloudSec
Summary
by MITRE • 03/21/2023
An authenticated attacker can leverage an exposed “box” object to read and write arbitrary files from disk, provided those files can be parsed as yaml or JSON. This issue was resolved in the Managed and SaaS deployments on February 1, 2023, and in version 23.2.1 of the Self-Managed version of InsightCloudSec.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical path traversal and arbitrary file access flaw within the InsightCloudSec platform that could enable authenticated attackers to compromise system integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability stems from an exposed "box" object that lacks proper input validation and access controls, allowing authenticated users to manipulate file operations through yaml or json parsing mechanisms. The flaw exists in the platform's handling of user-supplied data that gets processed through yaml or json parsers, creating a dangerous attack surface where legitimate parsing functionality becomes weaponized for unauthorized file system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the platform's legitimate yaml and json parsing capabilities to execute unauthorized read and write operations against arbitrary files on the underlying file system. An authenticated attacker with access to the platform can exploit this by crafting malicious yaml or json payloads that reference file paths outside of intended boundaries. This creates a privilege escalation scenario where legitimate user credentials can be used to access sensitive system files, configuration data, or even overwrite critical application files. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the legitimate parsing infrastructure of the application, making it difficult to detect through standard security monitoring.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and potential data exfiltration. Attackers could access sensitive configuration files, credential stores, application logs, and other system resources that would normally be protected by file system permissions. The vulnerability affects both managed and self-managed deployments of InsightCloudSec, with the self-managed version requiring an upgrade to version 23.2.1 for remediation. This represents a significant risk to organizations relying on the platform for security monitoring and threat detection, as the compromise of one authenticated user account could lead to broader system infiltration.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-73 Path Traversal in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, specifically addressing improper input validation in file system operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this maps to T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 Phishing, as attackers could use this to establish persistence through file manipulation or to gather intelligence through data exfiltration. The remediation approach required a code-level fix to implement proper input validation and access controls around the yaml and json parsing components, ensuring that file system operations are properly sandboxed and that user-supplied data cannot be used to traverse file system boundaries. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitor for unusual file access patterns as additional defensive measures while upgrading to the patched versions.