CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2022-23495NVD status: Modified

go-merkledag: Unchecked Return Value

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2022-23495 is a high-severity unchecked return value vulnerability in go-merkledag from Ipfs, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected go-merkledag versions: >= 0.4.0, < 0.8.1. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.41% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 73% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of go-merkledag you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Ipfsgo-merkledag>= 0.4.0, < 0.8.1Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.5HighCNA (github.com)
CVSS 3.17.5HighNVD

Official description

go-merkledag implements the 'DAGService' interface and adds two ipld node types, Protobuf and Raw for the ipfs project. A `ProtoNode` may be modified in such a way as to cause various encode errors which will trigger a panic on common method calls that don't allow for error returns. A `ProtoNode` should only be able to encode to valid DAG-PB, attempting to encode invalid DAG-PB forms will result in an error from the codec. Manipulation of an existing (newly created or decoded) `ProtoNode` using the modifier methods did not account for certain states that would place the `ProtoNode` into an unencodeable form. Due to conformance with the [`github.com/ipfs/go-block-format#Block`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/ipfs/go-block-format#Block) and [`github.com/ipfs/go-ipld-format#Node`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/ipfs/go-ipld-format#Node) interfaces, certain methods, which internally require a re-encode if state has changed, will panic due to the inability to return an error. This issue has been addressed across a number of pull requests. Users are advised to upgrade to version 0.8.1 for a complete set of fixes. Users unable to upgrade may attempt to mitigate this issue by sanitising inputs when allowing user-input to set a new `CidBuilder` on a `ProtoNode` and by sanitising `Tsize` (`Link#Size`) values such that they are a reasonable byte-size for sub-DAGs where derived from user-input.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Unchecked Return Value

The product does not check the return value from a method or function.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is expected.
  • For any pointers that could have been modified or provided from a function that can return NULL, check the pointer for NULL before use. When working with a multithreaded or otherwise asynchronous environment, ensure that proper locking APIs are used to lock before the check, and unlock when it has finished.
  • Ensure that you account for all possible return values from the function.

More Unchecked Return Value vulnerabilities (CWE-252)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Patches and release notes

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Unchecked Return Value vulnerabilities

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