CVE-2022-23635: Unauthenticated control plane denial of service attack in Istio
A flaw was found in istio. This flaw allows an attacker to send a specially crafted message to isitiod, causing the control plane to crash.
Other sources
Istio is an open platform to connect, manage, and secure microservices. In affected versions the Istio control plane, istiod, is vulnerable to a request processing error, allowing a malicious attacker that sends a specially crafted message which results in the control plane crashing. This endpoint is served over TLS port 15012, but does not require any authentication from the attacker. For simple installations, Istiod is typically only reachable from within the cluster, limiting the blast radius. However, for some deployments, especially multicluster topologies, this port is exposed over the public internet. There are no effective workarounds, beyond upgrading. Limiting network access to Istiod to the minimal set of clients can help lessen the scope of the vulnerability to some extent.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
redhat/servicemeshto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 0:2.0.9-3.el8 - Upgrade
Upgrade
redhat/servicemeshto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 0:2.1.2-4.el8 - Upgrade
Upgrade
redhat/Istioto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.13.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
redhat/Istioto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.12.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
redhat/Istioto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1.11.7 - Compensating control
Limit network access to the Istiod control-plane TLS port (15012) to the minimal set of trusted clients. Apply network policies, firewall rules, or load-balancer restrictions so that Istiod is not exposed to the public internet (especially for multicluster/topologies).
Event History
Parent advisories
This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2022-23635?
CVE-2022-23635 is a vulnerability in the Istio control plane that allows a malicious attacker to crash the control plane by sending a specially crafted message.
How does CVE-2022-23635 affect Istio?
CVE-2022-23635 affects the Istio control plane, specifically the `istiod` component.
What is the severity of CVE-2022-23635?
The severity of CVE-2022-23635 is rated as high (7.5).
How can I fix CVE-2022-23635?
You can fix CVE-2022-23635 by updating to Istio version 1.11.7, 1.12.4, or 1.13.1 or higher, depending on the affected version.
Where can I find more information about CVE-2022-23635?
You can find more information about CVE-2022-23635 at the following references: [CVE Details](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-23635), [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23635), [Istio Security Advisory](https://istio.io/latest/news/security/istio-security-2022-003), [Red Hat Bugzilla](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2057277), [Red Hat Security Advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:1276).