CVE-2023-45303: Thingsboard ThingsBoard Server-Side Template Injection Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6pgr-j9v4-xfvv
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-74
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-45303 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) thingsboard server-side template injection vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')) affecting Thingsboard libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves thingsboard server-side template injection. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.5.

CVE-2023-45303 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-45303
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6pgr-j9v4-xfvv
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
Affected Product Thingsboard
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2023-45303

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Thingsboard dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.thingsboard:thingsboard fixed: 3.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.thingsboard</groupId>
    <artifactId>thingsboard</artifactId>
    <version>3.5</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.thingsboard

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-45303, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.thingsboard

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Thingsboard in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.5), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.thingsboard command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component. In Thingsboard, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

ThingsBoard before 3.5 allows Server-Side Template Injection if users are allowed to modify an email template, because Apache FreeMarker supports `freemarker.template.utility.Execute` for content sent to the `/api/admin/settings` endpoint.

CVE-2023-45303 Affected Thingsboard Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.5
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.thingsboard:thingsboard
maven/org.thingsboard/thingsboard
Maven
< 3.5
3.5

References

NVD — CVE-2023-45303 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45303
freemarker.apache.org/docs/api/freemarker... WEB
https://freemarker.apache.org/docs/api/freemarker/template/utility/Execute.html
Thingsboard Security Information SECURITY
https://herolab.usd.de/security-advisories/usd-2023-0010

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-45303?
CVE-2023-45303 is a security vulnerability in Thingsboard involving ThingsBoard Server-Side Template Injection under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection').
Which Thingsboard versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.5 across affected packages: org.thingsboard:thingsboard.
What version fixes CVE-2023-45303?
Upgrading to 3.5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is thingsboard affected?
Yes, org.thingsboard:thingsboard is affected in releases prior to 3.5. Upgrade your dependency to 3.5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-45303?
CVE-2023-45303 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-45303?
CVE-2023-45303 is classified under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-45303?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.thingsboard'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-6pgr-j9v4-xfvv",
  "modified" : "2023-10-17T02:42:06Z",
  "published" : "2023-10-06T21:30:49Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-45303" ],
  "summary" : "ThingsBoard Server-Side Template Injection",
  "details" : "ThingsBoard before 3.5 allows Server-Side Template Injection if users are allowed to modify an email template, because Apache FreeMarker supports `freemarker.template.utility.Execute` for content sent to the `/api/admin/settings` endpoint.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.thingsboard:thingsboard"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45303"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://freemarker.apache.org/docs/api/freemarker/template/utility/Execute.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://herolab.usd.de/security-advisories/usd-2023-0010"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-74" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-10-17T02:42:06Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-10-06T19:15:13Z"
  }
}