The Apache IoTDB is an open-source data management system specifically optimized for Internet of Things (IoT) and time-series data. It is widely used in industries such as manufacturing, energy, and transportation for data storage and real-time analytics.

Recently, a vulnerability has been discovered in the Apache IoTDB versions .12.2 to .12.6 and .13. to .13.2 that affects Java 8 based deployments. In this post, we will discuss the details of this vulnerability, CVE-2022-43766, including the affected versions and potential ways to exploit it. We will also provide a code snippet to demonstrate the issue and solutions to address it.

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2022-43766 is a Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability in Apache IoTDB that affects Java 8 based deployments. Specifically, the vulnerability lies in the handling of untrusted patterns for REGEXP queries. Attackers can exploit this DoS vulnerability by providing a specially crafted pattern to crash the IoTDB server, causing severe impact on the availability and reliability of the system.

Code snippet

Below is an example code snippet which demonstrates the issue in Apache IoTDB while handling untrusted patterns for REGEXP queries:

SELECT * FROM root.vehicle.d WHERE s1 REGEXP <malicious_pattern>

In this example, a malicious pattern provided by an attacker can lead to excessive resource consumption and ultimately crash the IoTDB server.

Exploit

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by providing specially crafted patterns in REGEXP queries to the IoTDB server. As a result, the server's resources are overwhelmed and become unresponsive, impacting the availability and reliability of the data management system.

Original References

The vulnerability was first reported to the Apache IoTDB project, and you can find more information on this issue by visiting the following links:

- Apache IoTDB CVE-2022-43766 Advisory
- Apache IoTDB Github Issue

To address this vulnerability, users should follow one of the recommendations below

1. Upgrade to Apache IoTDB version .13.3 or later, which includes a patch for this issue. You can download the latest version from the official website.
2. Alternatively, if you are unable to upgrade your IoTDB version, consider using a later version of Java (Java 9 or higher) which mitigates this issue. To check your Java version, run the command java -version.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-43766 is a serious DoS vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Apache IoTDB when running on Java 8. By providing untrusted patterns for REGEXP queries, attackers can exploit this vulnerability, causing severe impact on the availability and reliability of the data management system.

It is strongly recommended to upgrade your IoTDB installation to version .13.3 or later and consider using Java 9 or higher to mitigate this issue. Stay vigilant and ensure the security and reliability of your IoT systems.

Timeline

Published on: 10/26/2022 16:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/28/2022 17:43:00 UTC