CVE-2023-48221
📋 TL;DR
A format string vulnerability in wire-avs (Audio, Visual, and Signaling component) could allow remote attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code. This affects Wire secure messaging software users running vulnerable versions of wire-avs. The vulnerability is fixed in patched versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Wire secure messaging platform
- wire-avs component
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Denial of service causing Wire AVS functionality to crash, disrupting audio/video calls and signaling.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and patched systems, potentially only service disruption.
🎯 Exploit Status
Format string vulnerabilities typically require specific input crafting but can be exploited remotely without authentication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: wire-avs 9.2.22 or 9.3.5
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/security/advisories/GHSA-m4xg-fcr3-w3pq
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Wire to version including wire-avs 9.2.22 or 9.3.5. 2. Restart Wire services. 3. Verify the update applied correctly.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
No workarounds available
allVendor states no known workarounds exist for this vulnerability
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate Wire instances from untrusted networks using firewall rules.
- Implement strict network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check wire-avs version: For Linux systems, check package version or Wire application version that includes wire-avs.Check Version:
wire --version or check Wire application settings/about sectionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify wire-avs version is 9.2.22 or higher, or 9.3.5 or higher. Check Wire application version matches patched releases.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected crashes of Wire AVS processes
- Abnormal format string patterns in Wire logs
- Memory access violation errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to Wire AVS ports
- Malformed signaling packets
SIEM Query:
source="wire-avs" AND (severity="critical" OR message="*format*" OR message="*segfault*")🔗 References
- https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/commit/364c3326a1331a84607bce2e17126306d39150cd
- https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/security/advisories/GHSA-m4xg-fcr3-w3pq
- https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/commit/364c3326a1331a84607bce2e17126306d39150cd
- https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/security/advisories/GHSA-m4xg-fcr3-w3pq
