CVE-2023-45705 in BigFix Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 03/28/2024
An administrative user of WebReports may perform a Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) exploit through SMTP configuration options.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-45705 represents a critical server side request forgery flaw within the WebReports application that specifically affects administrative users. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the SMTP configuration options, creating an attack vector that allows authenticated administrators to manipulate the application's ability to make outbound network requests. The flaw exists in the application's handling of mail server configuration parameters, where user-supplied values are directly processed without adequate security controls to prevent malicious redirection attempts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate or sanitize the SMTP server address and port parameters that administrators can configure. When an administrative user modifies these settings, the application does not adequately filter or restrict the input to prevent requests to internal network resources or external malicious endpoints. This creates a scenario where an attacker with administrative privileges can craft malicious SMTP configurations that cause the application to initiate connections to arbitrary addresses, potentially bypassing network security controls and accessing internal systems that should remain isolated from external access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using WebReports as they could face unauthorized internal network reconnaissance, data exfiltration, or further escalation attacks. The attacker could leverage this vulnerability to probe internal network services, access sensitive internal applications, or even establish command and control channels through the compromised application. The attack surface expands when considering that the vulnerability requires administrative privileges but administrative accounts often possess elevated access rights within the organization's network infrastructure. This makes the impact more severe as it could enable lateral movement attacks or facilitate more complex exploitation chains.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-918, Server-Side Request Forgery, which specifically addresses the risk of applications making unintended network requests based on user-supplied input. This classification emphasizes the fundamental flaw in the application's architecture where user-controllable parameters are directly used in network operations without proper validation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1566.001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it enables attackers to leverage the application's legitimate network capabilities for malicious purposes. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation for all SMTP configuration parameters, network segmentation to limit outbound connections from the WebReports application, and monitoring for suspicious network activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrative privileges should be strictly controlled and monitored to prevent unauthorized access to configuration options that could enable such attacks.