CVE-2023-1663 in Coverity
Summary
by MITRE • 03/29/2023
Coverity versions prior to 2023.3.2 are vulnerable to forced browsing, which exposes authenticated resources to unauthorized actors. The root cause of this vulnerability is an insecurely configured servlet mapping for the underlying Apache Tomcat server. As a result, the downloads directory and its contents are accessible. 5.9 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-1663 affects Coverity software versions prior to 2023.3.2 and represents a significant security flaw that undermines the integrity of access controls within the application. This issue manifests through forced browsing techniques that allow unauthorized actors to gain access to authenticated resources that should remain protected. The vulnerability specifically impacts the downloads directory and its contents, exposing sensitive data that was intended to be restricted to authorized users only. The CVSS score of 5.9 indicates a medium severity risk with network accessibility, low complexity, and no user interaction required for exploitation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insecure configuration of servlet mappings within the underlying Apache Tomcat server that powers the Coverity application. This misconfiguration creates a path traversal vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and directly access resources that should require proper authorization. The insecure servlet mapping essentially creates a backdoor pathway through which unauthorized users can navigate to protected directories and files within the application's file system. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-284 which specifically addresses inadequate access control mechanisms, and represents a classic example of improper access control that allows unauthorized information disclosure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially compromise the entire security posture of systems using affected Coverity versions. When the downloads directory becomes accessible to unauthorized actors, it may contain sensitive data such as code analysis results, security reports, or other confidential information generated by the Coverity tool. The exposure of these resources could lead to intellectual property theft, compliance violations, or provide attackers with valuable insights into the organization's codebase and security practices. The low complexity of exploitation means that even relatively unsophisticated attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to protected resources.
Organizations using affected Coverity versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves updating to Coverity version 2023.3.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the insecure servlet mapping configuration. Additionally, system administrators should review and properly configure all servlet mappings within their Apache Tomcat environments to ensure that access controls are properly enforced. Security teams should conduct thorough audits of their application configurations to identify any other potential insecure mappings that might create similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which covers data from information repositories, and represents a critical gap in access control that organizations must address through proper patch management and configuration hardening practices.