CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-6837NVD status: Modified

WSO2 API Manager: Incorrect Authorization

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-6837 is a high-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in WSO2 API Manager from WSO2, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 2.5.0.32, 2.6.0.52, 3.0.0.50 as the first without the flaw, so updating WSO2 API Manager to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.46% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update WSO2 API Manager to 2.5.0.32 or 2.6.0.52 or 3.0.0.50 or 3.1.0.72, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update WSO2 Identity Server to 5.6.0.16 or 5.7.0.35 or 5.8.0.26 or 5.9.0.38, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Update WSO2 Identity Server as Key Manager to 5.6.0.17 or 5.7.0.39 or 5.9.0.45 or 5.10.0.80, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  4. Read the advisory on security.docs.wso2.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
WSO2WSO2 API Manager2.5.0 up to, but not including, 2.5.0.32; 2.6.0 up to, but not including, 2.6.0.52; 3.0.0 up to, but not including, 3.0.0.50; 3.1.0 up to, but not including, 3.1.0.72; 3.2.0 up to, but not including, 3.2.0.86; 4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.0.0.352.5.0.32, 2.6.0.52, 3.0.0.50, 3.1.0.72, 3.2.0.86, 4.0.0.35
WSO2WSO2 Identity Server5.6.0 up to, but not including, 5.6.0.16; 5.7.0 up to, but not including, 5.7.0.35; 5.8.0 up to, but not including, 5.8.0.26; 5.9.0 up to, but not including, 5.9.0.38; 5.10.0 up to, but not including, 5.10.0.78; 5.11.0 up to, but not including, 5.11.0.695.6.0.16, 5.7.0.35, 5.8.0.26, 5.9.0.38, 5.10.0.78, 5.11.0.69
WSO2WSO2 Identity Server as Key Manager5.6.0 up to, but not including, 5.6.0.17; 5.7.0 up to, but not including, 5.7.0.39; 5.9.0 up to, but not including, 5.9.0.45; 5.10.0 up to, but not including, 5.10.0.805.6.0.17, 5.7.0.39, 5.9.0.45, 5.10.0.80
WSO2WSO2 Carbon Identity Application Authentication Framework5.11.256 up to, but not including, 5.11.256.3; 5.12.153 up to, but not including, 5.12.153.21; 5.12.387 up to, but not including, 5.12.387.7; 5.14.97 up to, but not including, 5.14.97.22; 5.17.5 up to, but not including, 5.17.5.106; 5.18.187 up to, but not including, 5.18.187.765.11.256.3, 5.12.153.21, 5.12.387.7, 5.14.97.22, 5.17.5.106, 5.18.187.76
WSO2API Manager2.5.0 up to, but not including, 2.5.0.32; 2.6.0 up to, but not including, 2.6.0.52; 3.0.0 up to, but not including, 3.0.0.50; 3.1.0 up to, but not including, 3.1.0.72; 3.2.0 up to, but not including, 3.2.0.86; 4.0.0 up to, but not including, 4.0.0.352.5.0.32, 2.6.0.52, 3.0.0.50, 3.1.0.72, 3.2.0.86, 4.0.0.35
WSO2Identity Server5.6.0 up to, but not including, 5.6.0.16; 5.7.0 up to, but not including, 5.7.0.35; 5.8.0 up to, but not including, 5.8.0.26; 5.9.0 up to, but not including, 5.9.0.38; 5.10.0 up to, but not including, 5.10.0.78; 5.11.0 up to, but not including, 5.11.0.695.6.0.16, 5.7.0.35, 5.8.0.26, 5.9.0.38, 5.10.0.78, 5.11.0.69
WSO2Identity Server As Key Manager5.6.0 up to, but not including, 5.6.0.17; 5.7.0 up to, but not including, 5.7.0.39; 5.9.0 up to, but not including, 5.9.0.45; 5.10.0 up to, but not including, 5.10.0.805.6.0.17, 5.7.0.39, 5.9.0.45, 5.10.0.80
WSO2Carbon Identity Application Authentication Endpointbefore 5.11.256.3; 5.11.257.0 up to, but not including, 5.12.153.19; 5.12.154.0 up to, but not including, 5.20.2545.11.256.3, 5.12.153.19, 5.20.254
WSO2Carbon Identity Application Authentication Frameworkbefore 5.11.256.3; 5.11.257.0 up to, but not including, 5.12.153.21; 5.12.154.0 up to, but not including, 5.12.387.7; 5.12.388.0 up to, but not including, 5.14.97.22; 5.14.98.0 up to, but not including, 5.17.5.106; 5.17.6.0 up to, but not including, 5.18.187.76; 5.18.188.0 up to, but not including, 5.20.2545.11.256.3, 5.12.153.21, 5.12.387.7, 5.14.97.22, 5.17.5.106, 5.18.187.76

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
HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
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:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.18.5HighCNA
CVSS 3.18.2HighNVD

Official description

Multiple WSO2 products have been identified as vulnerable to perform user impersonatoin using JIT provisioning. In order for this vulnerability to have any impact on your deployment, following conditions must be met: * An IDP configured for federated authentication and JIT provisioning enabled with the "Prompt for username, password and consent" option. * A service provider that uses the above IDP for federated authentication and has the "Assert identity using mapped local subject identifier" flag enabled. Attacker should have: * A fresh valid user account in the federated IDP that has not been used earlier. * Knowledge of the username of a valid user in the local IDP. When all preconditions are met, a malicious actor could use JIT provisioning flow to perform user impersonation.

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

The underlying weakness: Incorrect Authorization

The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
  • Ensure that access control checks are performed related to the business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that are applied to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature.

More Incorrect Authorization vulnerabilities (CWE-863)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in WSO2 API Manager

All WSO2 API Manager vulnerabilities

Recent Incorrect Authorization vulnerabilities

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