CVE-2004-1488 in wget
Summary
by MITRE
wget 1.8.x and 1.9.x does not filter or quote control characters when displaying HTTP responses to the terminal, which may allow remote malicious web servers to inject terminal escape sequences and execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1488 represents a critical terminal escape sequence injection flaw affecting wget versions 1.8.x and 1.9.x. This vulnerability stems from the wget utility's improper handling of control characters within HTTP responses received from web servers, creating an environment where malicious actors can exploit terminal manipulation techniques. The flaw specifically manifests when wget processes and displays HTTP response content directly to the terminal without adequate sanitization of control characters that could be interpreted as terminal escape sequences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the inherent characteristics of terminal control sequences and how wget processes HTTP content. When wget retrieves web content from a malicious server, it does not properly filter or quote control characters present in the response data before displaying them to the user's terminal. This oversight allows attackers to craft HTTP responses containing terminal escape sequences such as ANSI escape codes that can manipulate terminal behavior. These sequences can include commands that change terminal colors, move cursor positions, clear screens, or even execute commands through terminal emulation features.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1488 extends beyond simple display issues, potentially enabling remote code execution through terminal manipulation. An attacker controlling a malicious web server can craft HTTP responses containing specially formatted control characters that, when displayed by wget, trigger unintended terminal behaviors. This vulnerability can be exploited to execute arbitrary commands on the victim's system, particularly when the terminal supports advanced escape sequence interpretation. The attack vector is particularly concerning because wget is commonly used in automated scripts and system administration tasks where users may not be aware of the potential for terminal manipulation through HTTP content.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-15, which addresses the issue of external control of system or configuration settings, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The flaw demonstrates how applications processing network data without proper input sanitization can become attack vectors for terminal manipulation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where wget is used with elevated privileges or in automated contexts where users may not verify the legitimacy of content being retrieved.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1488 involve immediate version upgrades to wget 1.10 or later, which include proper control character filtering and quoting mechanisms. System administrators should implement network segmentation and proxy configurations to limit direct wget access to untrusted web servers. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of downloading content from untrusted sources and the importance of verifying content integrity. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual wget behavior or terminal escape sequence patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and output sanitization in network applications, particularly those handling user-facing data display operations.