CVE-2004-0746 in Konqueror
Summary
by MITRE
Konqueror in KDE 3.2.3 and earlier allows web sites to set cookies for country-specific top-level domains, such as .ltd.uk, .plc.uk and .firm.in, which could allow remote attackers to perform a session fixation attack and hijack a user s HTTP session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2019
This vulnerability resides in the Konqueror web browser component of the KDE desktop environment version 3.2.3 and earlier releases. The issue stems from an improper implementation of cookie domain validation mechanisms that fail to properly restrict cookie setting for country-specific top-level domains. The flaw allows malicious web sites to set cookies for domains such as .ltd.uk, .plc.uk, and .firm.in, which are legitimate country-code extensions used in the united kingdom and india. This improper cookie handling creates a security boundary violation where attacker-controlled domains can manipulate session cookies intended for legitimate websites.
The technical implementation flaw occurs in the cookie parsing and validation logic within Konqueror's HTTP client implementation. When processing Set-Cookie headers from web servers, the browser fails to properly validate that the domain portion of the cookie matches the actual host requesting the cookie. This validation failure stems from inadequate domain matching algorithms that do not properly account for the hierarchical nature of country-specific domain extensions. The vulnerability specifically affects the cookie domain restriction mechanism that should prevent cookies from being set for parent domains or domains that do not match the requesting host.
The operational impact of this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute session fixation attacks against users of the affected Konqueror versions. An attacker can set a cookie for a country-specific domain that matches the user's browsing session, allowing them to hijack the user's HTTP session and potentially gain unauthorized access to web applications. This creates a significant risk for users accessing sensitive applications through the affected browser, particularly in environments where session management is critical. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of HTTP session management by allowing cross-domain cookie manipulation.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-284 Access Control Issues and specifically CWE-285 Improper Authorization within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 Account Access Removal, as it enables unauthorized access to user sessions through manipulation of authentication tokens. The attack vector represents a cookie manipulation technique that bypasses standard browser security controls. Organizations using KDE 3.2.3 or earlier versions should immediately upgrade to patched versions of the KDE desktop environment to address this vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should implement network-level monitoring to detect anomalous cookie-setting behavior and consider temporary browser restrictions for country-specific domain handling. The remediation approach should include comprehensive security testing of web application session management components and implementation of proper cookie domain validation controls to prevent similar issues in other browser implementations.
This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper domain validation in web security implementations and highlights how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks. The issue affects not just Konqueror but represents a broader class of problems in HTTP client implementations where cookie handling logic fails to properly validate domain boundaries. The attack scenario illustrates how attackers can exploit browser implementation gaps to perform session hijacking attacks, making it a critical security concern for any organization relying on affected browser versions.