CVE-2023-29400 is a high-severity vulnerability in Golang's Go, focusing on the improper handling of actions in unquoted HTML attributes within templates. This vulnerability allows templates containing actions executed with empty input to lead to unexpected output due to inherent HTML normalization rules. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability to inject arbitrary attributes into tags, posing potential security risks.
With a CVSS score of 7.3, the vulnerability is classified as high severity. The attack vector is network-based, and it has a low attack complexity, meaning that exploitation does not require significant effort or privileges. The risk to organizations includes potential unauthorized modification of web content, leading to integrity issues and possible exposure of sensitive information.
Given the nature of this vulnerability and the potential for exploitation, organizations should prioritize patching immediately. The vulnerability was published on May 11, 2023, and has been marked as modified, indicating that further details may have emerged since its initial disclosure.
As of now, there are no public exploits confirmed, and the vulnerability is not listed in the KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) database. However, the lack of public exploitation does not diminish the urgency for organizations to address this vulnerability promptly.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of this vulnerability states: "Templates containing actions in unquoted HTML attributes (e.g. 'attr={{.}}') executed with empty input can result in output with unexpected results when parsed due to HTML normalization rules. This may allow injection of arbitrary attributes into tags."
The vulnerability has been classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) and CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')).
The CVSS score of 7.3 indicates a high severity level, emphasizing the importance of immediate action. The affected product is the Golang Go framework, specifically versions prior to 1.19.9 and between 1.20.0 and 1.20.4.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of unquoted HTML attributes within templates. When empty input is processed, the lack of proper sanitization and normalization can lead to unexpected outputs, allowing injection attacks. The attack vector is network-based, meaning that an attacker could exploit this vulnerability remotely without physical access to the target system.
The attack complexity is low, as it does not require any special privileges or user interaction. The attack can be executed by sending a specially crafted request that contains the vulnerable template, leading to potentially harmful outcomes.
The confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts of this vulnerability are all rated as low. However, even low impact can lead to significant security concerns when exploited in a production environment.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world deployment risk associated with CVE-2023-29400 is considerable. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Golang's Go framework may face potential unauthorized modifications to their applications, leading to data integrity issues and possibly exposing sensitive user information.
The blast radius of this vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where multiple web applications are using shared components or templates. A successful exploitation could lead to cascading failures or compromises across applications, affecting a large number of users.
Given the CVSS score and the nature of the vulnerability, organizations should address it in their priority patch cycle. The potential for exploitation, although currently low, necessitates proactive measures to mitigate risks.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected versions for this vulnerability include all versions of Golang's Go prior to 1.19.9 and between 1.20.0 and 1.20.4.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately by updating to the latest versions of Golang's Go framework. The patched versions include Go 1.19.9 and versions starting from 1.20.4 onwards.
In cases where immediate patching is not possible, organizations should implement configuration hardening measures that limit the use of templates with unquoted HTML attributes. Additionally, robust input validation should be enforced to mitigate the risk of arbitrary attribute injection.
Continuous monitoring of applications for anomalous behavior is advised to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Organizations may also consider leveraging penetration testing to validate the effectiveness of their remediation efforts.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor application logs for indicators of exploitation attempts, such as malformed requests targeting templates. Behavioral anomalies in web applications, such as unexpected attribute injections, should be flagged for further investigation.
Network signatures can be developed to detect unusual patterns in traffic that may indicate exploitation attempts against vulnerable versions of the Go framework.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2023-29400 lies in its demonstration of the potential risks associated with improper template handling in web applications. This vulnerability reflects a pattern of security oversights that can lead to serious consequences, emphasizing the need for secure coding practices.
Security teams should take this opportunity to review their template handling processes and ensure that proper sanitization is in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future. Lessons learned from this incident should be integrated into training programs for developers to enhance the overall security posture.
Organizations are encouraged to stay informed about emerging vulnerabilities and best practices through resources like the vulnerability management program and to regularly conduct security assessments.
By implementing proactive security measures and fostering a culture of security awareness, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation.
Known Exploitation Timeline
As of now, CVE-2023-29400 has not been included in the KEV catalog, indicating that there have been no confirmed reports of exploitation in the wild.
EPSS Risk Context
The EPSS score for CVE-2023-29400 is 0.000480000, placing it in the 0.15 percentile. This indicates a very low probability of exploitation, but organizations should not become complacent, as vulnerabilities can be weaponized rapidly.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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