CVE-2023-33175 in toui
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2023
ToUI is a Python package for creating user interfaces (websites and desktop apps) from HTML. ToUI is using Flask-Caching (SimpleCache) to store user variables. Websites that use `Website.user_vars` property. It affects versions 2.0.1 to 2.4.0. This issue has been patched in version 2.4.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-33175 affects the ToUI Python package, a framework designed for creating user interfaces from HTML content for both web and desktop applications. This package leverages Flask-Caching with SimpleCache implementation to manage user variables through the Website.user_vars property. The affected versions range from 2.0.1 through 2.4.0, representing a significant portion of the package's release history. The security flaw stems from improper handling of cached user variables within the Flask-Caching mechanism, creating potential attack vectors that could compromise application security and user data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the insecure storage and retrieval of user variables within the SimpleCache system. When applications utilize the Website.user_vars property, they rely on Flask-Caching's SimpleCache backend which does not properly sanitize or validate the cached data before storing it. This weakness allows for potential cache poisoning attacks where malicious actors could inject harmful data into the cache system, leading to unauthorized access to user information or manipulation of application state. The vulnerability manifests when the caching mechanism fails to properly isolate user data, creating opportunities for cross-user data leakage or session hijacking scenarios.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risks to applications built using ToUI framework, particularly those handling sensitive user information or implementing user-specific functionality. Attackers could exploit this weakness to access other users' cached variables, potentially obtaining session tokens, personal data, or application configuration details. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure, as the vulnerability could enable more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation or denial of service conditions. Applications using the affected versions must contend with the possibility that cached user variables may be compromised, affecting the overall security posture and potentially violating data protection regulations.
The remediation for CVE-2023-33175 involves upgrading to version 2.4.1 or later, which includes patches addressing the cache handling mechanisms within the ToUI framework. Security practitioners should prioritize this update across all affected environments and conduct thorough testing to ensure compatibility with existing applications. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring for unusual cache behavior or unauthorized data access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and potentially CWE-225 (Weaknesses in Cache Design) categories, representing a classic example of improper data isolation in caching systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation through application-level weaknesses, specifically targeting the application's data storage and retrieval mechanisms.