CVE-2023-3140 in Business Hub
Summary
by MITRE • 06/07/2023
Missing HTTP headers (X-Frame-Options, Content-Security-Policy) in KNIME Business Hub before 1.4.0 has left users vulnerable to click jacking. Clickjacking is an attack that occurs when an attacker uses a transparent iframe in a window to trick a user into clicking on an actionable item, such as a button or link, to another server in which they have an identical webpage. The attacker essentially hijacks the user activity intended for the original server and sends them to the other server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2023-3140 represents a critical security flaw in the KNIME Business Hub platform prior to version 1.4.0. This issue stems from the absence of essential HTTP security headers that are fundamental to protecting web applications from various attack vectors. The missing X-Frame-Options and Content-Security-Policy headers create significant exposure risks for users interacting with the platform, particularly in enterprise environments where sensitive data processing and analysis occur regularly.
The technical flaw manifests through the omission of two critical security headers that should be implemented by modern web applications. The X-Frame-Options header prevents clickjacking attacks by controlling whether a webpage can be displayed within an iframe, while the Content-Security-Policy header provides comprehensive protection against cross-site scripting attacks and other code injection vulnerabilities. Without these headers, the KNIME Business Hub application becomes vulnerable to malicious actors who can embed the platform within transparent iframes, effectively creating deceptive user interfaces that trick legitimate users into performing unintended actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple security concerns to encompass potential data compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive business information. Attackers can exploit this weakness by creating malicious web pages that embed the KNIME Business Hub interface within invisible or transparent frames, causing users to inadvertently interact with the embedded application while believing they are performing actions on a legitimate site. This technique allows attackers to harvest user credentials, manipulate data processing workflows, or execute unauthorized operations within the platform's administrative functions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-1021, which specifically addresses "Improper Restriction of Rendered UI Elements," and represents a classic example of insufficient security headers implementation that violates fundamental web security principles. From an attack perspective, this flaw maps directly to the ATT&CK technique T1531 - "Account Access Removal" and T1203 - "Exploitation for Client Execution" as attackers can leverage the clickjacking capability to manipulate user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the platform. Organizations using KNIME Business Hub prior to version 1.4.0 face heightened risk of unauthorized data access and potential system compromise through this vector.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate upgrade to KNIME Business Hub version 1.4.0 or later, which implements the necessary security headers. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications to identify similar header omissions, implement proper Content-Security-Policy directives, and establish regular security auditing processes. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious iframe embedding patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security configurations and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation gaps can create significant attack surface vulnerabilities in enterprise collaboration platforms.