CVE-2023-47323 in Silverpeas
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2023
The notification/messaging feature of Silverpeas Core 6.3.1 does not enforce access control on the ID parameter. This allows an attacker to read all messages sent between other users; including those sent only to administrators.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-47323 affects the notification and messaging functionality within Silverpeas Core version 6.3.1, representing a critical access control failure that undermines the confidentiality of user communications. This issue stems from insufficient validation of the ID parameter used in the messaging system, allowing unauthorized access to private communications between users. The flaw exists within the core messaging infrastructure where proper authorization checks are not implemented to verify that users have legitimate access rights to specific messages. This vulnerability specifically targets the message retrieval mechanism, where the system fails to validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary permissions to access a particular message based on its ID parameter.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and access control enforcement, which aligns with CWE-285, Access Control Flaws, and CWE-284, Improper Access Control. The system's failure to validate user privileges before granting access to messages creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate URL parameters or API calls to retrieve messages intended for other users. This weakness operates at the application logic level where the messaging system assumes that any valid ID parameter corresponds to a message the user should be able to access, without performing proper authorization checks. The impact extends beyond regular user communications to include administrative messages, potentially exposing sensitive information that should remain confidential between administrators and system users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using Silverpeas Core 6.3.1 as it enables attackers to conduct unauthorized surveillance of internal communications. The ability to read messages sent exclusively to administrators creates potential exposure of sensitive information including system credentials, internal policies, strategic discussions, or personal data of users. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gather intelligence about system vulnerabilities, user activities, or organizational structures that could facilitate further attacks. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects all users of the messaging system, regardless of their administrative privileges, making it accessible to any authenticated user who can manipulate the ID parameter.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-47323 should prioritize immediate implementation of proper access control validation for all messaging operations. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation that checks user permissions before allowing access to specific messages, ensuring that each message retrieval request includes proper authorization verification. This approach aligns with the principle of least privilege and follows ATT&CK technique T1566, Phishing, by preventing unauthorized access to potentially sensitive communications that could be exploited for social engineering attacks. System administrators should also implement logging and monitoring of message access patterns to detect potential unauthorized access attempts. The most effective remediation involves patching the application to enforce proper access control checks on the ID parameter and implementing proper authorization mechanisms that validate user roles and permissions before granting access to private communications. Additionally, organizations should conduct security assessments to identify any other similar access control vulnerabilities within the application's messaging infrastructure to prevent analogous issues from compromising user privacy and organizational security.