CVE-2023-42261
📋 TL;DR
Mobile Security Framework (MobSF) versions up to v3.7.8 Beta have insecure default permissions that allow unauthorized access to the application. This affects organizations using MobSF for mobile application security testing without proper network isolation or authentication controls. The vendor states authentication is intentionally omitted as the tool is designed for trusted environments only.
💻 Affected Systems
- Mobile Security Framework (MobSF)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the MobSF instance allowing attackers to upload malicious files, execute arbitrary code, access sensitive mobile app analysis results, and pivot to internal networks.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to mobile application security reports, source code, and analysis data, potentially exposing intellectual property and security vulnerabilities.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact when deployed in isolated, trusted networks with proper access controls and network segmentation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public proof-of-concept documentation exists showing unauthorized access. Exploitation requires only network access to the MobSF instance.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: N/A
Vendor Advisory: N/A
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. The vendor's position is that authentication is intentionally not implemented. Consider upgrading to latest version and implementing workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Reverse Proxy with Authentication
allDeploy MobSF behind a reverse proxy (nginx, Apache) with authentication enabled
# Configure nginx with basic auth
# Add to nginx config:
# location / {
# proxy_pass http://localhost:8000;
# auth_basic "Restricted";
# auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
# }
Network Isolation
linuxRestrict network access to MobSF using firewall rules
# Linux iptables example
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -s trusted_ip_range -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8000 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Deploy MobSF in isolated network segment with strict access controls
- Implement network-level authentication via VPN or bastion host for all MobSF access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Attempt to access MobSF web interface without authentication. If accessible, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check MobSF web interface footer or run: docker exec mobsf python -c "import mobsf; print(mobsf.__version__)"Verify Fix Applied:
Verify authentication is required to access MobSF interface and only authorized users can connect.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthenticated access attempts from unexpected IPs
- Multiple failed authentication attempts if proxy auth enabled
Network Indicators:
- Direct connections to MobSF port (default 8000) from unauthorized sources
- Unencrypted traffic to MobSF without authentication headers
SIEM Query:
source="mobsf" AND (event="unauthorized_access" OR status="401" OR status="403")🔗 References
- https://github.com/MobSF/Mobile-Security-Framework-MobSF/blob/abb47659a19ac772765934f184c65fe16cb3bee7/docker-compose.yml#L30-L31
- https://github.com/MobSF/Mobile-Security-Framework-MobSF/issues/1211
- https://github.com/MobSF/Mobile-Security-Framework-MobSF/issues/748
- https://github.com/woshinibaba222/hack16/blob/main/Unauthorized%20Access%20to%20MobSF.md
- https://github.com/MobSF/Mobile-Security-Framework-MobSF/blob/abb47659a19ac772765934f184c65fe16cb3bee7/docker-compose.yml#L30-L31
- https://github.com/MobSF/Mobile-Security-Framework-MobSF/issues/1211
- https://github.com/MobSF/Mobile-Security-Framework-MobSF/issues/748
- https://github.com/woshinibaba222/hack16/blob/main/Unauthorized%20Access%20to%20MobSF.md
