Listen to this Post
CVE-2023-22893 is a critical information disclosure vulnerability affecting Strapi versions up to 4.5.5. The vulnerability stems from an insecure implementation within the administrative query filter mechanism, which allows authenticated users with access to the admin panel to query and filter users by arbitrary columns containing sensitive information. By systematically crafting query filters against user endpoints, an attacker can infer hidden values directly from the API responses. The severity of the impact is directly tied to the attacker’s assigned role within the administration panel. If the malicious actor possesses super administrator privileges, the flaw can be leveraged to extract highly sensitive data, including cryptographic password hashes and password reset tokens for all registered users in the system. For lower-privileged administrative accounts, such as those with permissions to view specific API users (e.g., editors or authors), the exploit scope is restricted to recovering sensitive details of standard API users while protecting other administrative accounts. The root cause lies in insufficient input sanitization and overly permissive filtering capabilities on sensitive user attributes within the backend controllers, bypassing intended data abstraction layers and exposing internal database fields through standard administrative API responses.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: Strapi CMS
Version: Through 4.5.5
Vulnerability : Information Disclosure
Severity: Critical
date: January 2023
Prediction: January 2023
What Undercode Say
Bash Commands and Code
Example query filtering to infer user details or password reset tokens via administrative API curl -X GET "http://target-strapi:1337/admin/users?filters[bash][$ne]=null" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ADMIN_JWT_TOKEN"
// Example payload structure abusing query filters to extract sensitive fields
{
"filters": {
"password": {
"$containsi": "a"
}
}
}
Exploit (Educational Purposes!)
The exploit relies on authenticating to the Strapi admin panel using a compromised or legitimately acquired administrative or low-privileged account. Once authenticated, the attacker issues targeted API requests to user management endpoints utilizing advanced query operators (such as $ne, $eq, or $containsi). By observing the success or failure states, or by directly parsing returned record sets, the attacker can brute-force or extract sensitive attributes column-by-column. For super administrators, iterating through user fields exposes hashed passwords and active reset tokens, enabling full account takeovers or offline cracking attempts.
Protection
Upgrade Strapi immediately to version 4.5.6 or later, where input filters on sensitive user attributes are properly restricted and sanitized. Additionally, strictly audit administrative panel access, apply the principle of least privilege by reducing the number of unnecessary super administrator accounts, and monitor administrative API logs for abnormal enumeration patterns or excessive filter-based queries.
Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability leads to a complete breach of confidentiality for user data stored within the Strapi application. For super administrator attacks, exposure of password hashes and reset tokens enables credential cracking and full account takeover across all users, potentially compromising the underlying server infrastructure and any integrated databases or connected third-party services.
🎯Let’s Practice Exploiting & Learn Patching For Free:
🎓 Live Courses & Certifications:
Join Undercode Academy for Verified Certifications
🚀 Request a Custom Project:
Secure, high-velocity infrastructure and disruptive technological engineering. Contact our engineering team for high-tier development and proprietary systems:
[email protected]
💎 Smart Architecture | 🛡️ Secure by Design | ⭐ Trusted by Thousands
Sources:
Reported By: www.cve.org
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
