CVE-2023-32076
In-Toto Project In-Toto ≤ 1.4.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:NSummary
CVE-2023-32076 is a medium-severity External Control of System or Configuration Setting (CWE-15) vulnerability in In-Toto Project In-Toto. Its CVSS base score is 5.5 (Medium).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable (T1574.007); ranked at the 15th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-0097
Vulnerability Data
in-toto is a framework to protect supply chain integrity. The in-toto configuration is read from various directories and allows users to configure the behavior of the framework. The files are from directories following the XDG base directory specification. In versions…
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1.4.0 and prior, among the files read is `.in_totorc` which is a hidden file in the directory in which in-toto is run. If an attacker controls the inputs to a supply chain step, they can mask their activities by also passing in an `.in_totorc` file that includes the necessary exclude patterns and settings. RC files are widely used in other systems and security issues have been discovered in their implementations as well. Maintainers found in their conversations with in-toto adopters that `in_totorc` is not their preferred way to configure in-toto. As none of the options supported in `in_totorc` is unique, and can be set elsewhere using API parameters or CLI arguments, the maintainers decided to drop support for `in_totorc`. in-toto's `user_settings` module has been dropped altogether in commit 3a21d84f40811b7d191fa7bd17265c1f99599afd. Users may also sandbox functionary code as a security measure.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 7 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
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Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Provides fallback sources for configuration or settings when the primary is externally corrupted or controlled.
The policy and procedures establish internal controls and change management for system configuration settings, reducing the feasibility of external unauthorized modifications.
Baseline configuration under change control directly prevents unauthorized external modification of system or configuration settings.
Requires approval, documentation, and security impact review of all configuration changes, directly preventing unauthorized external control of system settings.
Impact analysis of configuration changes reduces the risk of deploying settings that permit unauthorized external control.
Restricting changes to system and configuration settings prevents external entities from controlling those settings without approval.
Establishing, implementing, approving deviations from, and monitoring configuration settings directly prevents external or unauthorized control of system settings.
The plan defines processes for identifying and managing configuration items, preventing external unauthorized control of system settings.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Hardened configuration baselines and change controls directly limit external manipulation of settings.
Secure development practices directly require input validation and reference sanitization that prevent externally-controlled resource references.
Runtime monitoring of software and data flows can detect anomalous external resource accesses that result from this weakness.
Formal change and exception management catches externally driven configuration alterations.
Least-privilege access policies reduce unauthorized external modification of configuration values.
Network segmentation and access controls limit the blast radius when an external reference escapes its intended sphere.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Configuration management directly prevents external tampering with system settings.
Access rights assignment determines who may change system settings.
Privileged access rights reduce the number of users who can alter configuration.
Security testing can detect instances of the weakness but does not prevent it at design or coding time.
Information access restriction limits who can view or modify configuration data.
Change management enforces controlled, authorized modifications to settings.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248577 OL 8 must enable kernel parameters to enforce Discretionary Access Control (DAC) on symlinks. prevents CWE-610