CVE-2022-3439 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-770, which pertains to the allocation of resources without limits or throttling. This vulnerability affects the GitHub project ikus060/rdiffweb, a web-based interface for rdiff-backup, prior to version 2.5.0. The core issue involves the application allocating resources—such as memory, CPU, or file handles—without implementing adequate controls or throttling mechanisms. This can lead to resource exhaustion, potentially causing denial of service (DoS) conditions. The CVSS 3.0 base score is 4.5, reflecting a medium severity level. The vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H indicates that the attack vector is physical (local), with low attack complexity, requiring high privileges and user interaction. The scope is unchanged, with no confidentiality impact, low integrity impact, and high availability impact. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patch links were provided, though the issue is fixed in version 2.5.0. The vulnerability arises because the application does not limit or throttle resource allocation, which could be exploited by an authenticated user with high privileges to degrade or disrupt service availability by exhausting system resources. This could manifest as application crashes, degraded performance, or complete denial of service, impacting the reliability of backup operations managed through rdiffweb.

For European organizations using ikus060/rdiffweb, particularly those relying on it for backup management and data integrity, this vulnerability poses a risk of service disruption. An attacker with high privileges and local access could intentionally trigger resource exhaustion, leading to denial of service. This could interrupt backup operations, delay recovery processes, and potentially cause data loss if backups are not completed or verified. Organizations in sectors where data availability and integrity are critical—such as finance, healthcare, and public administration—may face operational and compliance challenges. The impact is primarily on availability, with some potential integrity concerns if backup processes are interrupted mid-operation. Since exploitation requires high privileges and user interaction, the threat is mitigated somewhat by access controls; however, insider threats or compromised privileged accounts could leverage this vulnerability. The absence of known exploits suggests limited active targeting, but the risk remains for organizations that have not updated to patched versions.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading ikus060/rdiffweb to version 2.5.0 or later, where this vulnerability is addressed. In addition, implement strict access controls to limit high-privilege user accounts and monitor their activities for unusual resource consumption patterns. Employ resource usage monitoring and alerting on servers running rdiffweb to detect abnormal spikes in CPU, memory, or file handle usage that could indicate exploitation attempts. Consider deploying application-level rate limiting or throttling mechanisms if possible, to prevent excessive resource allocation by any single user or process. Regularly audit and review user privileges to minimize the number of accounts with high-level access. Additionally, isolate backup management systems within secure network segments to reduce the risk of unauthorized local access. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and test recovery procedures to ensure resilience against potential service disruptions.