CVE-2023-3518: Github.com/hashicorp/consul Consul JWT Auth Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9rhf-q362-77mx
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CVSS 7.4
CWE-266 CWE-285
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-3518 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.4) consul jwt auth vulnerability (CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment) affecting Github.com/hashicorp/consul libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves consul jwt auth in l7 intentions allow for mismatched service identity and jwt providers. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.16.1.

CVE-2023-3518 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-3518
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9rhf-q362-77mx
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.4
CWE Classification CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment
Affected Product Github.com/hashicorp/consul
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.4

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:C/C:L/I:L/A:L).

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-3518

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

github.com/hashicorp/consul fixed: 1.16.1 
Upgrade github.com/hashicorp/consul to 1.16.1
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

inspect dependencies for github.com/hashicorp/consul

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2023-3518, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/hashicorp/consul:

inspect dependencies for github.com/hashicorp/consul

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/hashicorp/consul in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.16.1), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment, where a product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In Github.com/hashicorp/consul, 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

A vulnerability was identified in Consul such that using JWT authentication for service mesh incorrectly allows/denies access regardless of service identities. This vulnerability, CVE-2023-3518, affects Consul 1.16.0 and was fixed in 1.16.1.

CVE-2023-3518 Affected Github.com/hashicorp/consul Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.16.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/hashicorp/consul
golang/github.com/hashicorp/consul
Go
≥ 1.16.0
< 1.16.1
All 1 versions
1.16.0
1.16.1

References

NVD — CVE-2023-3518 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3518
discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2023-25-con... WEB
https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2023-25-consul-jwt-auth-in-l7-intentions-allow-for-mismatched-service-identity-and-jwt-providers/57004
Github.com/hashicorp/consul Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/hashicorp/consul

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-3518?
CVE-2023-3518 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/hashicorp/consul involving Consul JWT Auth in L7 Intentions Allow for Mismatched Service Identity and JWT Providers under CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment.
Which Github.com/hashicorp/consul versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.16.1 across affected packages: github.com/hashicorp/consul.
What version fixes CVE-2023-3518?
Upgrading to 1.16.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/hashicorp/consul affected?
Yes, github.com/hashicorp/consul is affected in releases prior to 1.16.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.16.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-3518?
CVE-2023-3518 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.4 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-3518?
CVE-2023-3518 is classified under CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment (A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2023-3518?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/hashicorp/consul'. 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-9rhf-q362-77mx",
  "modified" : "2024-04-01T18:32:42Z",
  "published" : "2023-08-09T18:30:52Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-3518" ],
  "summary" : "Consul JWT Auth in L7 Intentions Allow for Mismatched Service Identity and JWT Providers",
  "details" : "A vulnerability was identified in Consul such that using JWT authentication for service mesh incorrectly allows/denies access regardless of service identities. This vulnerability, CVE-2023-3518, affects Consul 1.16.0 and was fixed in 1.16.1.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/hashicorp/consul"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.16.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.16.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "1.16.0" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3518"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2023-25-consul-jwt-auth-in-l7-intentions-allow-for-mismatched-service-identity-and-jwt-providers/57004"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/hashicorp/consul"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-266", "CWE-285" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-01T18:32:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-08-09T16:15:09Z"
  }
}