CVE-2023-25621: Org.apache.sling.i18n Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mrpv-5pmr-p92h
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-25621 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) improper privilege management vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting Org.apache.sling.i18n libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper privilege management in apache sling. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.6.2.

CVE-2023-25621 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-25621
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mrpv-5pmr-p92h
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product Org.apache.sling.i18n
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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:N/I:H/A:N).

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 None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2023-25621

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Org.apache.sling.i18n 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.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.i18n fixed: 2.6.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.sling</groupId>
    <artifactId>org.apache.sling.i18n</artifactId>
    <version>2.6.2</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.apache.sling

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-25621, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.sling

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Org.apache.sling.i18n in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.6.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.sling 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-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In Org.apache.sling.i18n, 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

Privilege Escalation vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Sling. Any content author is able to create i18n dictionaries in the repository in a location the author has write access to. As these translations are used across the whole product, it allows an author to change any text or dialog in the product. For example an attacker might fool someone by changing the text on a delete button to "Info". This issue affects the i18n module of Apache Sling versions before 2.6.2. Version 2.6.2 and higher limit by default i18m dictionaries to certain paths in the repository (/libs and /apps). Users of the module are advised to update to version 2.6.2 or higher, check the configuration for resource loading and then adjust the access permissions for the configured path accordingly.

CVE-2023-25621 Affected Org.apache.sling.i18n Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.6.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.i18n
maven/org.apache.sling/org.apache.sling.i18n
Maven
< 2.6.2
2.6.2

References

NVD — CVE-2023-25621 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-25621
Org.apache.sling.i18n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/sling-org-apache-sling-i18n/pull/9
issues.apache.org/jira/browse/sling-1... WEB
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SLING-11744
seclists.org/oss-sec/2023/q1/112 WEB
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2023/q1/112
sling.apache.org/news.html WEB
https://sling.apache.org/news.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-25621?
CVE-2023-25621 is a security vulnerability in Org.apache.sling.i18n involving Improper Privilege Management in Apache Sling under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which Org.apache.sling.i18n versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.6.2 across affected packages: org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.i18n.
What version fixes CVE-2023-25621?
Upgrading to 2.6.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is org.apache.sling.i18n affected?
Yes, org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.i18n is affected in releases prior to 2.6.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.6.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-25621?
CVE-2023-25621 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-25621?
CVE-2023-25621 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-25621?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.sling'. 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-mrpv-5pmr-p92h",
  "modified" : "2023-03-03T23:26:02Z",
  "published" : "2023-02-23T09:30:17Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-25621" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Privilege Management in Apache Sling",
  "details" : "Privilege Escalation vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Sling. Any content author is able to create i18n dictionaries in the repository in a location the author has write access to. As these translations are used across the whole product, it allows an author to change any text or dialog in the product. For example an attacker might fool someone by changing the text on a delete button to \"Info\". This issue affects the i18n module of Apache Sling versions before 2.6.2. Version 2.6.2 and higher limit by default i18m dictionaries to certain paths in the repository (/libs and /apps). Users of the module are advised to update to version 2.6.2 or higher, check the configuration for resource loading and then adjust the access permissions for the configured path accordingly.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.i18n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.6.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-25621"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/sling-org-apache-sling-i18n/pull/9"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SLING-11744"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2023/q1/112"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://sling.apache.org/news.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-02-23T21:38:53Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-02-23T09:15:00Z"
  }
}