External risk intelligence

MISP Missing Input Validation Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2023-48658

MISP (Malware Information Sharing Platform) is commonly deployed as a web-based application intended for collaboration and sharing of threat intelligence, which frequently necessitates exposure as an internet-facing or inter-organizational service for its primary functionality.

Misp Project Misp

before 2.4.176

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

An issue has been identified in the MISP platform that could allow for unauthorized access and modification of data. This vulnerability stems from an incomplete input validation within a specific model file, potentially exposing the system to various malicious activities. The core concern is to confirm if your deployed instances of this platform are affected and to understand the potential implications for your threat intelligence sharing capabilities.

Flaw in data validation allows unauthorized access.
Critical for threat intelligence sharing platforms.
Confirm relevance and assess potential exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can reach this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to a publicly accessible web application, requiring no prior authentication. The vulnerability lies within the application's handling of log entries, specifically in a function that processes user-provided data without proper validation. When this unvalidated data is processed, it can lead to a time-based SQL injection, potentially allowing an attacker to extract sensitive information or manipulate the database.

No authentication or prior access needed.
Vulnerable log processing function.
Sensitive data disclosure risk.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could impact the integrity and availability of the MISP application, potentially affecting logs and database operations. When supported by the advisory, it may allow unauthorized modification or deletion of data by an attacker without any required user interaction.

Application logs and database integrity.
Unauthenticated remote code execution is not indicated.
Disruption of threat intelligence sharing.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

The MISP application owner or platform team is likely responsible for addressing this vulnerability, as it affects a web-based application often used for inter-organizational sharing. The first step is to identify all MISP instances, determine their business criticality and exposure, and confirm ownership before planning remediation.

Identify MISP instances and owners.
Verify business criticality and exposure.
Plan remediation based on risk.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the MISP software used for?

MISP, or Malware Information Sharing Platform, is an open-source tool designed for gathering, storing, and distributing technical information about cyber threats. Security teams and researchers use it to collaborate in real-time, sharing structured data like malware samples, indicators of compromise, and attack patterns to help defend their respective organizations.

What does CVE-2023-48658 mean for security?

This vulnerability is a flaw in how the platform verifies incoming data. Technically, it represents an improper input validation issue. In plain terms, the system fails to filter specific characters in log processing requests, which can allow an attacker to inject unauthorized database commands and potentially view or alter sensitive threat intelligence information.

How does an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

An attacker triggers this by sending a specially crafted request to the application's log processing functionality. Because the system lacks proper input checks, these malicious inputs are processed by the database. Importantly, this flaw does not require the attacker to have an existing user account or any prior authentication to interact with the system.

Is my MISP instance at risk?

According to Halo Surface Signal, MISP is typically deployed as a web-based service meant for inter-organizational collaboration, which often requires it to be internet-facing. If your instance is accessible from the public internet, it falls into the category of higher risk, as it is reachable by external parties without needing specialized internal access.

What should I do if I run MISP?

Begin by auditing your environment to locate all active MISP deployments and confirm which versions are currently running. Since the issue affects versions prior to 2.4.176, you should verify if your instances are outdated. Once identified, prioritize updating these systems to a patched version to restore proper input validation and secure your database operations.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.