CVE-2023-28906: Command Injection Vulnerability in MIB3 Infotainment

Overview

The cybersecurity landscape is an ever-evolving battlefield where security experts and cybercriminals are continually pitted against each other. In this scenario, a newly discovered vulnerability, CVE-2023-28906, gives us a perfect example of this struggle.
This vulnerability affects the MIB3 infotainment system, notably found in the Skoda Superb III car, and allows for a command injection that could enable an attacker to escalate privileges and obtain administrative access. This vulnerability has significant implications as it could potentially lead to system compromise and data leakage, defining the importance of understanding and mitigating such vulnerabilities.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2023-28906
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: User
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise, potential data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Skoda Superb III MIB3 infotainment | 3V0035820

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability lies in the networking service of the MIB3 infotainment system. An attacker who has already gained user-level access to the system can escalate privileges using this vulnerability. This is done by injecting malicious commands into the system, which then get executed with administrative privileges.
This privilege escalation can grant the attacker comprehensive control over the system, potentially leading to a complete system compromise or data leakage. The attacker could manipulate the system’s functionalities, access sensitive data, or even introduce additional malicious software.

Conceptual Example Code

Here’s a
conceptual
example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. In this case, the attacker injects a malicious command via the network service:

$ echo 'command_to_execute_with_admin_privileges' > /dev/networkservice/input

In this hypothetical scenario, the file ‘/dev/networkservice/input’ is part of the infotainment system’s networking service where the command injection vulnerability resides. The attacker uses the echo command to write a malicious command to this file, which then gets executed with administrative privileges due to the vulnerability. Please note that this is a conceptual example, and the actual process may differ based on the attacker’s method and target.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible. If the patch is not yet available or cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation.
These measures can help detect and block malicious commands or activities related to this vulnerability, thus reducing the risk of exploitation. However, they are not a long-term solution and cannot completely eliminate the risk. Therefore, applying the vendor patch remains the most effective way to secure the system from this vulnerability.