CVE-2002-1647 in Slash
Summary
by MITRE
The quick login feature in Slash Slashcode does not redirect the user to an alternate URL when the wrong password is provided, which makes it easier for remote web sites to guess the proper passwords by reading the username and password from the Referrer URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1647 resides within the Slashcode content management system's quick login functionality, representing a significant security flaw that undermines authentication mechanisms. This issue specifically affects the handling of failed authentication attempts within the web application's login process, creating an exploitable condition that directly impacts user account security. The flaw operates by failing to implement proper redirection behavior when authentication credentials are invalid, thereby exposing sensitive information through HTTP referrer headers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly manage HTTP response handling during authentication failures. When a user attempts to log in with incorrect credentials, the system should redirect to an appropriate error page or login screen without revealing the original request parameters. However, Slashcode's quick login feature maintains the original request context, allowing the referrer URL to contain the username and password information in clear text. This behavior creates a vector for credential leakage that aligns with CWE-613, which addresses insufficient session management and improper handling of authentication failures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it enables sophisticated attack patterns that leverage web browser behavior and HTTP header mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages that monitor referrer headers from users who have failed login attempts, thereby collecting valid username and password combinations. This technique represents a form of credential harvesting that operates through the principle of session hijacking and authentication bypass, with potential for automated attacks that can systematically gather valid credentials from multiple users. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where users access the application through shared or public networks where referrer information might be intercepted.
The security implications of this flaw demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of web application security principles and proper authentication flow management. According to ATT&CK framework category T1110, this vulnerability enables credential access through improper handling of authentication responses, while also aligning with T1566 which addresses credential harvesting through social engineering and web application exploitation. The weakness creates an environment where attackers can perform password guessing attacks with significantly reduced effort, as they can obtain valid credentials from the referrer headers rather than having to perform brute force attacks against individual accounts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper HTTP response handling and session management protocols within the application. The primary fix involves ensuring that all failed authentication attempts result in proper redirection to error pages that do not preserve sensitive information in URL parameters. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding to prevent information leakage, while also configuring web servers to properly handle referrer headers. Additionally, security measures should include implementing rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms to prevent automated credential guessing attacks, along with regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in other authentication mechanisms. The remediation process must also address the underlying architectural design flaws that allowed this condition to exist, ensuring that future development practices incorporate proper security controls from the initial design phase.