Overview
The vulnerability CVE-2023-49553 is a critical concern in the cybersecurity realm. It is a vulnerability in Cesanta mjs 2.20.0 which allows a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via the mjs_destroy function. This issue affects any system using Cesanta mjs 2.20.0 and can potentially lead to system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2023-49553
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Denial of Service, potential system compromise, and data leakage.
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Cesanta mjs | 2.20.0
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability originates from a flaw in the mjs_destroy function within the mjs.c file in Cesanta mjs 2.20.0. The issue allows a remote attacker to trigger a denial of service. The attacker sends a specially crafted request to the Cesanta mjs, which fails to handle it properly, thereby leading to a denial of service.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. Note that the exact payload will depend on the specific configuration and environment.
POST /mjs_destroy HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "malicious_payload": "specially_crafted_request_to_trigger_dos" }
Mitigation Guidance
The recommended mitigation strategy is to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. Meanwhile, as a temporary mitigation measure, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used to block or alert on the malicious requests that attempt to exploit this vulnerability. Regularly updating and patching software is an effective practice to reduce the risk of such vulnerabilities.

