CVE-2006-3328 in Hostflow
Summary
by MITRE
new_ticket.cgi in Hostflow 2.2.1-15 allows remote attackers to steal and replay authentication credentials via an IMG tag in the desc parameter ("Ticket Description" field) that points to a URL that captures referer URLs, possibly due to a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability or a leak of credentials in referer URLs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3328 resides within the new_ticket.cgi component of Hostflow version 2.2.1-15, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to compromise user authentication credentials through a sophisticated credential theft mechanism. This vulnerability specifically targets the Ticket Description field where the desc parameter is processed, creating an avenue for attackers to exploit weaknesses in input validation and output sanitization. The flaw manifests when an attacker crafts a malicious IMG tag within the description field that points to a specially constructed URL designed to capture HTTP referer information, effectively exploiting the browser's automatic transmission of referer headers during resource requests.
The technical exploitation mechanism leverages cross-site scripting vulnerabilities combined with the inherent behavior of web browsers that automatically include referer headers when making requests for resources such as images. When a victim views a ticket containing the malicious IMG tag, their browser attempts to load the image from the attacker-controlled URL, automatically including the referer header that contains the victim's current session information and authentication tokens. This creates a credential leakage scenario where the attacker's server can capture the referer URL, which typically includes session identifiers, authentication parameters, and potentially sensitive information from the Hostflow application. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of client-side scripting and server-side session management, exploiting the trust relationship between browsers and web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking and authentication replay attacks that can result in complete system compromise. Once an attacker successfully captures valid authentication credentials through this mechanism, they can impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to the Hostflow system, potentially accessing sensitive ticket information, modifying ticket status, or executing administrative functions. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the authentication mechanism, undermining the trust model that the application relies upon for user access control. This type of flaw particularly impacts web applications that depend on referer headers for session management or authentication purposes, making it a significant threat to applications with weak input validation practices.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and CWE-200, which covers information exposure through referer headers. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 for credential access through spearphishing attachments and T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications. The attack vector exploits the trust relationship between the web application and its users, leveraging the automatic referer header transmission that browsers maintain during resource requests. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures, including strict validation of all user-supplied content, particularly in fields that render HTML content. The mitigation strategy requires immediate patching of the Hostflow application to version 2.2.1-16 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for input validation and output encoding. Additionally, administrators should implement referer header sanitization at the web server level, disable referer header transmission for sensitive resources, and consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized resource loading. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious referer header patterns, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure.