CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-40173NVD status: Modified

social-media-skeleton: Insufficiently Protected Credentials

CVE-2023-40173 is a high-severity insufficiently protected credentials vulnerability in social-media-skeleton from Fobybus, 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. The record lists version 1.0.5 as the first without the flaw, so updating social-media-skeleton to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.66% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 52% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update social-media-skeleton to 1.0.5 or a later version.
  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
Fobybussocial-media-skeleton< 1.0.5; before 1.0.51.0.5

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
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

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

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

Official description

Social media skeleton is an uncompleted/framework social media project implemented using a php, css ,javascript and html. Prior to version 1.0.5 Social media skeleton did not properly salt passwords leaving user passwords susceptible to cracking should an attacker gain access to hashed passwords. This issue has been addressed in version 1.0.5 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

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

The underlying weakness: Insufficiently Protected Credentials

The product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use an appropriate security mechanism to protect the credentials.
  • Make appropriate use of cryptography to protect the credentials.
  • Use industry standards to protect the credentials (e.g. LDAP, keystore, etc.).

More Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerabilities (CWE-522)

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

Other vulnerabilities in social-media-skeleton

All social-media-skeleton vulnerabilities

Recent Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerabilities

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