CVE-2023-2541 in Business Hub
Summary
by MITRE • 06/07/2023
The Web Frontend of KNIME Business Hub before 1.4.0 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to access internals about the application such as versions, host names, or IP addresses. No personal information or application data was exposed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2541 affects the web frontend of KNIME Business Hub versions prior to 1.4.0, representing a significant information disclosure flaw that exposes internal application metadata to unauthenticated remote attackers. This vulnerability falls under the category of information exposure, specifically categorized as CWE-200 Information Exposure, which occurs when an application inadvertently reveals internal details about its configuration, architecture, or operational environment. The flaw allows attackers to gather sensitive operational intelligence without requiring any authentication credentials, creating a reconnaissance opportunity that could facilitate more sophisticated attacks. The exposed information includes application version numbers, host names, and IP addresses, which collectively provide adversaries with valuable insights into the target environment's technical landscape.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the web frontend components of the KNIME Business Hub application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly accessing specific endpoints or resources that should typically be restricted to authenticated users or internal systems. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to properly validate and authenticate incoming requests before serving internal metadata, creating a pathway for unauthorized information retrieval. This type of flaw often occurs when developers assume that certain metadata is harmless to expose or when access control mechanisms are not properly implemented or tested. The absence of proper authentication checks means that any remote attacker can obtain this information simply by making HTTP requests to the affected application endpoints.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information gathering, as it significantly weakens the overall security posture of the affected system. When attackers can obtain version information, they gain knowledge about the specific software stack and its potential vulnerabilities, enabling them to tailor more targeted attacks. Host name and IP address disclosures provide network mapping capabilities that allow adversaries to build comprehensive views of the attack surface. This information can be combined with other reconnaissance activities to identify potential exploitation targets, understand network topology, and plan more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using KNIME Business Hub in production environments where such information exposure could lead to successful exploitation of other vulnerabilities or social engineering attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to KNIME Business Hub version 1.4.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this information disclosure vulnerability. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring for unusual patterns of requests to application metadata endpoints. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated application to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing workflows or integrations. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar information disclosure issues in other applications within their environment. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 Credential Access: Credentials in Files, as it involves the exposure of system information that could aid in credential theft or access bypass. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and block unauthorized access attempts to sensitive metadata endpoints. The incident highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications, emphasizing that even seemingly benign information disclosure can provide significant advantages to attackers in the context of broader security operations.