CVE-2007-2618 in Drake
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in index.php in Drake CMS 0.4.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers and conduct HTTP response splitting attacks via CRLF sequences in the lang parameter. NOTE: Drake CMS has only a beta version available, and the vendor has previously stated "We do not consider security reports valid until the first official release of Drake CMS."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2618 represents a critical CRLF injection flaw within the Drake CMS 0.4.0 content management system that enables remote attackers to manipulate HTTP headers through crafted input parameters. This security weakness specifically targets the index.php script where the lang parameter is processed without adequate sanitization or validation of carriage return and line feed sequences. The presence of such vulnerabilities in beta software versions underscores the importance of thorough security testing before public release, as the vendor's own statement indicates they do not consider security reports valid until the first official release, creating a potential gap in security coverage for early adopters.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the web application's parameter handling mechanism. When the lang parameter contains CRLF sequences, these characters are not properly escaped or filtered before being incorporated into HTTP response headers. This allows attackers to inject malicious headers that can manipulate the HTTP response, potentially enabling various attack vectors including session hijacking, cross-site scripting, and cache poisoning. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-113, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of CRLF sequences in HTTP headers, making it a well-documented class of security flaws that have been extensively studied and mitigated in modern web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple header injection, as it creates opportunities for sophisticated attack scenarios that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. Attackers can leverage HTTP response splitting to inject malicious content into web responses, potentially redirecting users to phishing sites or injecting malicious scripts that persist in the user's browser cache. This type of vulnerability can also facilitate man-in-the-middle attacks by allowing attackers to manipulate the HTTP communication between clients and servers, particularly in environments where web applications rely on proper header validation for security controls. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that this vulnerability affects a content management system, which typically handles sensitive user data and administrative functions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms that properly escape or filter CRLF sequences from all user-supplied input parameters. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious CRLF patterns in HTTP headers, while also ensuring that all input parameters are validated against expected formats before processing. The implementation of proper header encoding techniques and the use of secure programming practices such as those recommended by the OWASP Secure Coding Practices can significantly reduce the risk of similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate such issues before they can be exploited in production environments, particularly for beta software where the vendor's security stance may leave users vulnerable to undiscovered flaws.