CVE-2023-44794 in SaToken
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
An issue in Dromara SaToken version 1.36.0 and before allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges via a crafted payload to the URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-44794 resides within the Dromara SaToken authentication framework version 1.36.0 and earlier, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that can be exploited remotely. This issue manifests through improper input validation and authorization handling mechanisms within the token processing pipeline, allowing malicious actors to manipulate authentication flows and gain elevated access rights. The vulnerability specifically affects the URL parameter handling component of the framework, where crafted payloads can bypass normal authentication checks and manipulate session states to achieve unauthorized administrative privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of URL parameters and inadequate validation of token claims within the SaToken framework. Attackers can construct malicious URLs containing specially crafted token values or manipulated session identifiers that exploit trust relationships within the authentication system. This flaw aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication scenarios, and specifically demonstrates how weak input validation can lead to privilege escalation. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged through web-based attack vectors.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-44794 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can enable attackers to perform administrative functions, modify critical system configurations, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within affected systems. Organizations using vulnerable versions of SaToken may experience complete compromise of their authentication infrastructure, leading to data breaches, service disruption, and potential lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems from external networks without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to version 1.37.0 or later, which includes proper input validation and enhanced token handling mechanisms. Security teams should implement network-level controls such as web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious URL patterns, while also conducting thorough code reviews to identify potential similar vulnerabilities in custom implementations. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication layers, such as multi-factor authentication, to reduce the impact of potential exploitation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures including user behavior analytics and anomaly detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts.