The open-source project HUSKY by realmag777 is a popular tool used in various web applications for plugin management and automation. Keeping an eye on its security is important—especially when vulnerabilities grant attackers unauthorized access.

One such vulnerability, identified as CVE-2023-40334, is a classic example of Missing Authorization, making web apps built with HUSKY exposed to attackers if not patched.

In this article, I’ll break down what this vulnerability is, how it works, reference the original sources, and show you an example exploit. The goal is to help you understand and mitigate this risk.

What Is CVE-2023-40334?

CVE-2023-40334 is a security hole in HUSKY from versions *n/a* through *1.3.4.2*. The root of the issue is missing authorization validation—the software doesn’t properly check if a user has sufficient permission to access sensitive actions and resources.

If you have an incorrectly configured access control security level, an attacker could use this flaw to bypass normal checks and gain unauthorized access or perform unauthorized actions.

Risk: Unauthorized access, privilege escalation, loss of sensitive data

- Affected Versions: HUSKY from *n/a* through *1.3.4.2*

Understand The Vulnerability

HUSKY’s control logic is intended to protect backend resources based on user permissions or roles. But in affected versions, certain endpoints, actions, or API paths lack proper authorization checks. If your security levels are not explicitly set or incorrectly configured, attackers can:

Let’s look at a typical scenario

1. Attacker Identifies Unprotected Endpoint: They find an endpoint like /admin/settings.php is not checking if the user is authenticated or authorized.
2. Direct Access: By going directly to that URL in a browser or HTTP tool, the attacker can perform actions meant only for admins.

Let’s see a code snippet that shows how a vulnerable access check might look in HUSKY

<?php
// Vulnerable code (simplified)

include("husky/init.php");

// Missing: if (!isAuthorized($user)) { die("No access"); }

// Anyone can run this, regardless of logged-in status
if ($_GET['action'] == 'deleteUser') {
    $id = $_GET['user_id'];
    husky_delete_user($id); // dangerous!
    echo "User deleted.";
}
?>

What’s missing?
A call like isAuthorized($user) that checks if the visitor has permission.

`

http://yourdomain.com/husky/admin/settings.php?action=deleteUser&user_id=5

Using curl (command-line HTTP client), an unauthenticated attacker could run

curl -X GET "http://target-site.com/husky/admin/settings.php?action=deleteUser&user_id=5";

If the site is vulnerable and misconfigured, this can delete critical users or perform other actions.

Real-World Risk

- Any misconfigured or default security level means admin/business owner data could be lost without a trace.

References and Original Sources

- CVE-2023-40334 on MITRE
- HUSKY GitHub project
- NVD entry for CVE-2023-40334
- OWASP: Broken Access Control

Update HUSKY:

Immediate action—update your HUSKY installation to the latest version.

Explicit Authorization Checks:

Add proper user role and session checks before every sensitive action.

Example (Fixed)

if (!isAuthorized($user, 'admin')) {
    http_response_code(403);
    die("Unauthorized access.");
}

Review Access Control Settings:

Make sure your website or application sets proper roles and access levels for all HUSKY functionality.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-40334 is a serious finding in the HUSKY plugin/system from realmag777 that can lead to data leaks, deletion, or even server compromise if left unpatched. The lesson: Always verify authorization, especially on open-source tools you rely on.

Don’t wait—patch, audit, and stay secure!

Feel free to reach out or comment if you have questions or want code review tips for similar vulnerabilities.

Timeline

Published on: 12/13/2024 15:15:21 UTC