dbcve.org
Sling I18nApplication · Apache

CVE-2023-25621

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.6.2 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Privilege Escalation vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Sling. Any content author is able to create i18n dictionaries in the repository in a location the author has write access to. As these translations are used across the whole product, it allows an author to change any text or dialog in the product. For example an attacker might fool someone by changing the text on a delete button to "Info". This issue affects the i18n module of Apache Sling up to version 2.5.18. Version 2.6.2 and higher limit by default i18m dictionaries to certain paths in the repository (/libs and /apps). Users of the module are advised to update to version 2.6.2 or higher, check the configuration for resource loading and then adjust the access permissions for the configured path accordingly.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Apache Sling i18n module versions up to 2.5.18, content authors with write access to any repository location could create or modify i18n translation dictionaries in those locations. Since i18n translations are loaded globally across the application, this allowed authors to alter any UI text or dialog labels throughout the product, enabling social engineering attacks (e.g., changing a 'Delete' button to 'Info').

MitigationUpgrade Apache Sling i18n module to version 2.6.2 or higher, which restricts dictionary loading to /libs and /apps paths by default. Review and adjust access permissions on configured resource paths to ensure only authorized users can modify translations.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Sling I18nApplication
Affected:< 2.6.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache Sling i18n module version
    Locate and inspect the org.apache.sling.i18n bundle or JAR file in your Sling deployment. Check the manifest or version manifest file to determine the installed version number.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 2.6.2 (any version 2.5.18 or below, or any version below 2.6.2)
  2. Locate i18n dictionary resource path configuration
    Inspect the Apache Sling i18n module configuration in the OSGi console or configuration files. Look for the 'Resource paths' or 'dictionary locations' configuration property that specifies where translation dictionaries are loaded from.
    Affected if The configuration includes paths other than or in addition to /libs and /apps, or allows loading from arbitrary repository locations.
  3. Audit repository permissions on non-standard paths
    Review the repository access control list (ACL) or permission settings. Identify any repository paths outside /libs and /apps where content authors have write permissions.
    Affected if Content authors or users with limited privileges have write access to repository locations that could be used for dictionary injection.
  4. Inspect custom dictionary locations
    Search the repository for i18n dictionary content ( sling:message entries) in locations outside the standard /libs and /apps paths. Use repository queries or file system search to find any translation dictionaries stored in custom paths.
    Affected if Translation dictionaries exist in repository paths other than /libs and /apps

You are affected if the Apache Sling i18n module version is below 2.6.2 AND either custom resource paths are configured or content authors have write access to repository locations outside /libs and /apps.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.6.2 or later
Fixed in 2.6.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache Sling i18n module to version 2.6.2 or higher, which restricts dictionary loading to /libs and /apps paths by default. Review and adjust access permissions on configured resource paths to ensure only authorized users can modify translations.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.6.2

  1. Upgrade Apache Sling I18n module to version 2.6.2 or higher
  2. After upgrade, verify the resource loading configuration points to the intended paths (default: /libs and /apps)
  3. Review and adjust access permissions for the configured i18n dictionary paths to ensure only authorized users can modify translations
Caveat Configuration review may be needed to ensure resource loading paths are correctly set after upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Sling I18n Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-25621 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data