CVE-2023-36472 in Strapi
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2023
Strapi is an open-source headless content management system. Prior to version 4.11.7, an unauthorized actor can get access to user reset password tokens if they have the configure view permissions. The `/content-manager/relations` route does not remove private fields or ensure that they can't be selected. This issue is fixed in version 4.11.7.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-36472 affects Strapi, an open-source headless content management system widely used for building modern web applications and APIs. This security flaw represents a critical access control weakness that allows unauthorized actors to obtain sensitive user password reset tokens through a specific API endpoint. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 4.11.7 and specifically targets the content manager's relations functionality within the Strapi framework. The issue stems from improper field filtering mechanisms that fail to adequately protect sensitive data, creating a pathway for privilege escalation and potential account compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the `/content-manager/relations` route which fails to properly sanitize or filter private fields during data retrieval operations. When users with configure view permissions attempt to access relation data through this endpoint, the system does not adequately strip sensitive information such as password reset tokens from the response payload. This represents a classic case of insufficient data filtering and access control enforcement, where the system assumes that users with certain permissions can safely access all related data without proper sanitization. The flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input validation and output encoding practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as password reset tokens represent highly sensitive credentials that can be immediately exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. An attacker with configure view permissions could potentially compromise multiple user accounts within the system, leading to unauthorized data access, account takeovers, and potential lateral movement within the application environment. The vulnerability creates a persistent security risk that could be exploited repeatedly, as the flaw exists in the core data retrieval mechanisms rather than being a temporary condition. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multi-tenant environments where users may have varying levels of access permissions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-36472 should prioritize immediate patching to version 4.11.7 or later, which addresses the core issue through proper field filtering mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of the `/content-manager/relations` endpoint to detect unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that users with configure view permissions are properly authorized and that the principle of least privilege is maintained across all system components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Disclosure) and CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) categories, and represents a clear violation of ATT&CK technique T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) through credential compromise. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and API rate limiting to reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in their environments.