CVE-2023-51059: Critical Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in MOKOSmart MKGW1 BLE Gateway

Overview

In the realm of cybersecurity, the discovery of new vulnerabilities is a common occurrence. However, some vulnerabilities have far-reaching implications, one such is CVE-2023-51059. This vulnerability affects the MOKOSmart MKGW1 BLE Gateway, a widely used product by MOKO TECHNOLOGY LTD. The vulnerability is serious as it allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges via the session management component of the administrative web interface, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
The impact of this vulnerability is significant considering the widespread use of MOKOSmart MKGW1 BLE Gateway across various industries and sectors. It is therefore crucial for all users to understand the nature of this vulnerability, how it can be exploited, and steps to mitigate it.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2023-51059
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Severity Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

MOKOSmart MKGW1 BLE Gateway | v.1.1.1 and before

How the Exploit Works

The exploit leverages a weakness in the session management component of the MOKOSmart MKGW1 BLE Gateway’s administrative web interface. An attacker can remotely manipulate this component to escalate their privileges, giving them unauthorized access to sensitive data and control over the system.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the exploit might be executed:

POST /admin/session HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "session_id": "valid_session_id", "user_role": "admin" }

In this example, the attacker is using a valid session ID but is attempting to escalate their user role to “admin”. If successful, the attacker would gain administrative privileges on the target system.

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, it is highly recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. Until then, users can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as temporary mitigation. It’s also recommended to regularly monitor system logs for any unusual activities.