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Critical Vulnerability CVE-2023-22515 in Atlassian Confluence: Exploitation, Impact, and Mitigation Strategies

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Executive Summary

CVE-2023-22515 is a critical vulnerability affecting Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server versions. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to create unauthorized administrator accounts, leading to full control over the Confluence instance. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 10.0, indicating its high severity. This report provides a detailed analysis of the vulnerability, its exploitation in the wild, affected product versions, and mitigation strategies.

Technical Information

CVE-2023-22515 is a broken access control issue in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server. This vulnerability allows external attackers to exploit the system by creating unauthorized Confluence administrator accounts, thereby gaining full access to Confluence instances. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous due to its unauthenticated nature, meaning that attackers do not need any prior access or credentials to exploit it.

The vulnerability affects the following versions: - Confluence Data Center: Versions from 8.0.0 up to (excluding) 8.3.3, 8.4.0 up to (excluding) 8.4.3, 8.5.0 up to (excluding) 8.5.2 - Confluence Server: Versions from 8.0.0 up to (excluding) 8.3.3

The CVSS score of 10.0 (Critical) underscores the severity of this vulnerability. The vector for this vulnerability is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating that it can be exploited remotely without any user interaction or privileges.

Exploitation in the Wild

According to multiple sources, including CISA and Atlassian, this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild. Threat actors have been observed using this vulnerability to gain initial access to Confluence instances, create administrator accounts, and potentially deploy further malicious activities. The exploitation of this vulnerability has been linked to unauthorized creation of administrator accounts, unusual login activities from unknown IP addresses, and changes in Confluence configurations without proper authorization.

APT Groups using this vulnerability

While specific APT groups exploiting this vulnerability have not been publicly identified, the nature of the vulnerability makes it a valuable target for state-sponsored actors and cybercriminal groups seeking to gain initial access to networks. Given the high severity and the potential for full control over Confluence instances, it is likely that various APT groups and cybercriminal organizations are actively seeking to exploit this vulnerability.

Affected Product Versions

The following product versions are affected by CVE-2023-22515: - Confluence Data Center: Versions from 8.0.0 up to (excluding) 8.3.3, 8.4.0 up to (excluding) 8.4.3, 8.5.0 up to (excluding) 8.5.2 - Confluence Server: Versions from 8.0.0 up to (excluding) 8.3.3

Workaround and Mitigation

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-22515, the following steps are recommended:

  1. Update to the Latest Version: Atlassian has released patches for the affected versions. It is crucial to update Confluence Data Center and Server to the latest versions that address this vulnerability. The latest versions can be found on the Atlassian Documentation on CVE-2023-22515.

  2. Check for Unauthorized Accounts: Administrators should check for any unauthorized administrator accounts created in their Confluence instances and remove them immediately.

  3. Monitor for Indicators of Compromise (IoCs): Regularly monitor logs and network traffic for any signs of exploitation or unauthorized access. Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) include unauthorized creation of administrator accounts, unusual login activities from unknown IP addresses, and changes in Confluence configurations without proper authorization.

References

For further details and updates, please refer to the following official advisories and resources: - NVD: NVD CVE-2023-22515 - Atlassian Advisory: Atlassian Documentation on CVE-2023-22515 - CISA Advisory: CISA Cybersecurity Advisory - GitHub Exploit: GitHub Exploit for CVE-2023-22515 - Packet Storm Security: Packet Storm Security Advisory

Rescana is here for you

Rescana's Continuous Threat and Exposure Management (CTEM) platform is designed to help organizations identify, assess, and mitigate vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-22515. Our platform provides real-time monitoring, threat intelligence, and automated remediation to ensure that your systems remain secure. If you have any questions about this report or any other issue, please contact us at ops@rescana.com.

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