CVE-2023-29010 in Budibase
Summary
by MITRE • 04/06/2023
Budibase is a low code platform for creating internal tools, workflows, and admin panels. Versions prior to 2.4.3 (07 March 2023) are vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery. This can lead to an attacker gaining access to a Budibase AWS secret key. Users of Budibase cloud need to take no action. Self-host users who run Budibase on the public internet and are using a cloud provider that allows HTTP access to metadata information should ensure that when they deploy Budibase live, their internal metadata endpoint is not exposed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2023
CVE-2023-29010 represents a critical server-side request forgery vulnerability affecting Budibase versions prior to 2.4.3, which was released on March 7, 2023. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and improper handling of external requests within the platform's architecture, creating an attack vector that allows malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior. The flaw specifically manifests when Budibase processes requests that should be restricted to internal systems but instead allows arbitrary external URLs to be accessed, potentially enabling attackers to exploit cloud metadata services that are typically protected from external access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-918, which defines server-side request forgery as a condition where an application accepts user-controllable input that can be used to make requests to internal systems. In the context of Budibase, this occurs when the platform fails to properly validate or sanitize URLs that are processed during operations involving external integrations or administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious requests that direct the application to access internal AWS metadata endpoints, which contain sensitive credentials including secret keys that can be used to gain unauthorized access to cloud resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly severe for self-hosted Budibase deployments that are accessible over the public internet. Organizations running these instances without proper network segmentation or access controls become vulnerable to credential theft attacks that can compromise entire cloud environments. The vulnerability creates a direct pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and potentially gain full administrative access to AWS resources associated with the compromised Budibase instance. This risk is amplified when organizations deploy Budibase without implementing proper network isolation measures that would prevent internal metadata endpoints from being accessible to external attackers.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical sophistication and can be accomplished through standard web application attack techniques, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that do not maintain up-to-date security practices. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566, which covers "Phishing for Information," as attackers can leverage the platform's legitimate functionality to harvest sensitive credentials from cloud metadata services. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to version 2.4.3 or later, implementing network segmentation to prevent access to internal metadata endpoints, and conducting thorough security assessments of their cloud infrastructure to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across their entire attack surface.
For self-hosted deployments, the recommended approach involves configuring firewalls and network access controls to prevent direct access to internal AWS metadata endpoints, typically located at 169.254.169.254. Additionally, organizations should implement proper input validation mechanisms within their Budibase configurations and consider deploying additional security layers such as reverse proxies or API gateways that can filter and sanitize all external requests before they reach the core application. The cloud provider's own security recommendations should also be followed, including disabling HTTP access to metadata services and implementing proper IAM role configurations that limit the scope of credentials accessible through the compromised platform.