CVE-2023-3188 in owncast
Summary
by MITRE • 06/10/2023
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in GitHub repository owncast/owncast prior to 0.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3188 represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw discovered in the owncast/owncast repository prior to version 0.1.0. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-918, which specifically addresses server-side request forgery conditions where applications fail to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied input before using it in HTTP requests to external resources. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate the application's behavior by forcing it to make unintended requests to internal or external systems that should not be accessible through normal user interactions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the application's request handling mechanisms. When users provide input that is subsequently used to construct HTTP requests, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate these inputs, enabling attackers to inject malicious URLs or network addresses. This weakness particularly affects applications that process user-provided URLs or network parameters, as demonstrated in the owncast implementation where external requests are made to handle various streaming and network-related operations. The vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to bypass normal network access controls and potentially access internal services, databases, or other resources that would otherwise be protected by network segmentation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform reconnaissance on internal networks, access sensitive internal services, and potentially escalate their privileges within the compromised environment. Attackers can leverage this flaw to probe internal systems, gather information about network topology, and identify other vulnerable services that may exist within the same network segment. The vulnerability also enables potential data exfiltration scenarios where attackers can redirect application traffic to external servers controlled by the adversary, allowing for unauthorized data collection and transmission. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where the owncast application is deployed in production settings with access to internal resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-3188 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and sanitization mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. Organizations should enforce strict validation of all user-supplied inputs, particularly those used in HTTP request construction, by implementing allowlists of permitted protocols and hostnames. The implementation of network segmentation and firewall rules can help limit the potential damage by restricting outbound connections from the application server. Additionally, implementing proper authentication and authorization controls, along with regular security audits and code reviews, can help identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The fix for this specific vulnerability required updating the owncast application to version 0.1.0 or later, which included proper input validation mechanisms and enhanced security controls to prevent unauthorized external requests from being initiated by malicious actors.