Description Preview
A vulnerability in Json-smart, a performance-focused JSON processor library, allows attackers to cause a denial of service condition through stack exhaustion. When parsing deeply nested JSON structures containing arrays or objects, the library performs recursive parsing without limiting the nesting depth. This can lead to stack overflow and application crashes when processing maliciously crafted JSON input.
Overview
Json-smart is a widely used JSON processing library designed for performance. The vulnerability (CVE-2023-1370) exists in the library's parsing mechanism for arrays and objects. When the parser encounters opening brackets ('[' or '{') in JSON input, it processes these structures recursively without implementing any depth limits. An attacker can exploit this by crafting a JSON payload with excessively nested arrays or objects, causing the application to exhaust its stack space and crash. This constitutes a denial of service vulnerability (CWE-674: Uncontrolled Recursion) that affects applications using the Json-smart library to parse untrusted JSON data.
Remediation
To mitigate this vulnerability, consider the following actions:
- Update to the latest version of Json-smart if a patched version is available.
- Implement input validation to reject JSON with excessive nesting before passing it to Json-smart.
- Consider using alternative JSON parsing libraries with configurable depth limits.
- If continuing to use vulnerable versions, implement a pre-processing step to check the nesting depth of JSON inputs.
- Monitor application logs for stack overflow errors that might indicate exploitation attempts.
- Consider increasing the JVM stack size as a temporary workaround, though this does not fix the underlying issue.
References
- JFrog Research: https://research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/stack-exhaustion-in-json-smart-leads-to-denial-of-service-when-parsing-malformed-json-xray-427633/
- NetApp Security Advisory: https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240621-0006/
- Json-smart Project: https://netplex.github.io/json-smart/
- CWE-674: Uncontrolled Recursion: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/674.html
Industry ExposureMost to leastThis section illustrates the prevalence of a specific Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) across various industries based on customer reports. The ranking displays industries from the most to least affected by this particular vulnerability, offering valuable insight into where this CVE has been most frequently observed. This information can help organizations within these sectors prioritize their security efforts, understand their relative risk exposure compared to their peers, and focus remediation strategies where they are most needed. By understanding the industry-specific impact, organizations can make more informed decisions regarding patching, resource allocation, and overall risk management related to this CVE.
This section illustrates the prevalence of a specific Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) across various industries based on customer reports. The ranking displays industries from the most to least affected by this particular vulnerability, offering valuable insight into where this CVE has been most frequently observed. This information can help organizations within these sectors prioritize their security efforts, understand their relative risk exposure compared to their peers, and focus remediation strategies where they are most needed. By understanding the industry-specific impact, organizations can make more informed decisions regarding patching, resource allocation, and overall risk management related to this CVE.
- ManufacturingManufacturing
- Public AdministrationPublic Administration
- Health Care & Social AssistanceHealth Care & Social Assistance
- Transportation & WarehousingTransportation & Warehousing
- Finance and InsuranceFinance and Insurance
- Professional, Scientific, & Technical ServicesProfessional, Scientific, & Technical Services
- Retail TradeRetail Trade
- Arts, Entertainment & RecreationArts, Entertainment & Recreation
- UtilitiesUtilities
- Other Services (except Public Administration)Other Services (except Public Administration)
- Educational ServicesEducational Services
- Management of Companies & EnterprisesManagement of Companies & Enterprises
- Wholesale TradeWholesale Trade
- Accommodation & Food ServicesAccommodation & Food Services
- Administrative, Support, Waste Management & Remediation ServicesAdministrative, Support, Waste Management & Remediation Services
- Agriculture, Forestry Fishing & HuntingAgriculture, Forestry Fishing & Hunting
- ConstructionConstruction
- InformationInformation
- MiningMining
- Real Estate Rental & LeasingReal Estate Rental & Leasing
