CVE-2023-30551 in rekor
Summary
by MITRE • 05/08/2023
Rekor is an open source software supply chain transparency log. Rekor prior to version 1.1.1 may crash due to out of memory (OOM) conditions caused by reading archive metadata files into memory without checking their sizes first. Verification of a JAR file submitted to Rekor can cause an out of memory crash if files within the META-INF directory of the JAR are sufficiently large. Parsing of an APK file submitted to Rekor can cause an out of memory crash if the .SIGN or .PKGINFO files within the APK are sufficiently large. The OOM crash has been patched in Rekor version 1.1.1. There are no known workarounds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-30551 affects Rekor, an open source software supply chain transparency log designed to provide immutable records of software artifacts. This system plays a critical role in supply chain security by maintaining cryptographic proofs of software integrity and provenance. The flaw manifests in how Rekor processes archive metadata files during verification operations, creating a potential denial of service condition that can compromise system availability and operational continuity. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of JAR and APK file formats which are commonly used in software distribution and deployment environments.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper memory management practices within Rekor's archive parsing logic. When processing JAR files, the system reads metadata files from the META-INF directory directly into memory without first validating their size constraints. Similarly, when handling APK files, the system loads .SIGN and .PKGINFO files without size checks. This approach creates a memory exhaustion condition where maliciously crafted archive files containing oversized metadata components can cause the Rekor service to consume excessive memory resources until it crashes from out of memory conditions. The vulnerability is classified as a memory corruption issue that aligns with CWE-129 and CWE-770 categories related to improper input validation and resource exhaustion.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the integrity of software supply chain verification processes. When Rekor experiences out of memory crashes during JAR or APK verification, it creates gaps in the transparency log that could allow malicious software to bypass security checks undetected. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Rekor for software artifact verification, as attackers could exploit this weakness to target the transparency logging service itself rather than the artifacts being verified. The crash condition can occur during routine verification operations, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate system issues and targeted attacks. This vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which involves network denial of service attacks against applications.
The patch implemented in Rekor version 1.1.1 addresses this vulnerability by introducing proper size validation checks for archive metadata files before loading them into memory. This mitigation approach aligns with defensive programming practices that prevent resource exhaustion attacks by establishing reasonable limits on file sizes and memory consumption. Organizations using Rekor should immediately upgrade to version 1.1.1 or later to eliminate this risk. The lack of known workarounds means that without patching, systems remain vulnerable to out of memory conditions that could be exploited to disrupt software supply chain verification processes. Security teams should monitor their Rekor deployments for any signs of memory exhaustion patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability represents a significant threat to the availability and reliability of transparency logging services in software supply chain security infrastructures.