CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-5422NVD status: Modified

OTRS: Improper Certificate Validation

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-5422 is a critical-severity improper certificate validation vulnerability in OTRS, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 7.0.47, 8.0.37 as the first without the flaw, so updating OTRS to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.33% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update OTRS to 7.0.47 or 8.0.37, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update otrs_community_edition to 6.0.34 or a later version.
  3. Read the advisory on otrs.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  4. 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
OTRSOTRS7.0.x up to, but not including, 7.0.47; 8.0.x up to, but not including, 8.0.377.0.47, 8.0.37
OTRS((OTRS)) Community Edition6.0.x through 6.0.34Not stated
Otrs Community Editionotrs_community_edition6.0x up to, but not including, 6.0.346.0.34

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
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

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

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.18.7HighCNA (otrs.com)
CVSS 3.19.1CriticalNVD

Official description

The functions to fetch e-mail via POP3 or IMAP as well as sending e-mail via SMTP use OpenSSL for static SSL or TLS based communication. As the SSL_get_verify_result() function is not used the certificated is trusted always and it can not be ensured that the certificate satisfies all necessary security requirements. This could allow an attacker to use an invalid certificate to claim to be a trusted host, use expired certificates, or conduct other attacks that could be detected if the certificate is properly validated. This issue affects OTRS: from 7.0.X before 7.0.47, from 8.0.X before 8.0.37; ((OTRS)) Community Edition: from 6.0.X through 6.0.34.

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

The underlying weakness: Improper Certificate Validation

The product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Certificates should be carefully managed and checked to assure that data are encrypted with the intended owner's public key.
  • If certificate pinning is being used, ensure that all relevant properties of the certificate are fully validated before the certificate is pinned, including the hostname.

More Improper Certificate Validation vulnerabilities (CWE-295)

Timeline

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

References

Other vulnerabilities in OTRS

All OTRS vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Certificate Validation vulnerabilities

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