CVE-2023-37901: Cross-Site-Scripting via confirmation prompts
Impact There is a Cross-Site-Scripting vulnerability in confirmation prompts commonly used when deleting content from Indico. Exploitation requires someone with at least submission privileges (such as a speaker) and then someone else to attempt to delete this content.
Considering that event organizers may want to delete suspicious-looking content when spotting it, there is a non-negligible risk of such an attack to succeed. The risk of this could be further increased when combined with some some social engineering pointing the victim towards this content.
Patches You need to update to Indico 3.2.6 as soon as possible. See the docs for instructions on how to update.
Workarounds Only let trustworthy users manage categories, create events or upload materials ("submission" privileges on a contribution/event). This should already be the case in a properly-configured setup when it comes to category/event management.
Note that a conference doing a Call for Abstracts actively invites external speakers (who the organizers may not know and thus cannot fully trust) to submit content, hence the need to update to a a fixed version ASAP in particular when using such workflows.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
Open a thread in our forum Email us privately at indico-team@cern.ch
Other sources
Indico is an open source a general-purpose, web based event management tool. There is a Cross-Site-Scripting vulnerability in confirmation prompts commonly used when deleting content from Indico. Exploitation requires someone with at least submission privileges (such as a speaker) and then someone else to attempt to delete this content. Considering that event organizers may want to delete suspicious-looking content when spotting it, there is a non-negligible risk of such an attack to succeed. The risk of this could be further increased when combined with some some social engineering pointing the victim towards this content. Users need to update to Indico 3.2.6 as soon as possible. See the docs for instructions on how to update. Users who cannot upgrade should only let trustworthy users manage categories, create events or upload materials ("submission" privileges on a contribution/event). This should already be the case in a properly-configured setup when it comes to category/event management. Note that a conference doing a Call for Abstracts actively invites external speakers (who the organizers may not know and thus cannot fully trust) to submit content, hence the need to update to a a fixed version ASAP in particular when using such workflows.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
pip/indicoto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.2.6 - Upgrade
Upgrade
Indicoto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.2.6 - Compensating control
Only let trustworthy users manage categories, create events, or upload materials (submission privileges on a contribution/event), especially when using Call for Abstracts workflows where external speakers may submit untrusted content.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2023-37901?
CVE-2023-37901 is classified as a high severity cross-site scripting vulnerability affecting Indico.
How do I fix CVE-2023-37901?
To mitigate CVE-2023-37901, upgrade Indico to version 3.2.6 or later.
Who is affected by CVE-2023-37901?
CVE-2023-37901 affects users with submission privileges in Indico who attempt to delete content.
What can an attacker do with CVE-2023-37901?
An attacker can exploit CVE-2023-37901 to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of a user's session.
What version of Indico should I avoid due to CVE-2023-37901?
Versions of Indico prior to 3.2.6 are vulnerable to CVE-2023-37901 and should be avoided.