CVE-2008-4283 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in the WebContainer component in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 5.1.1.19 and earlier 5.1.x versions allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers and conduct HTTP response splitting attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4283 represents a critical CRLF injection flaw within the WebContainer component of IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 5.1.1.19 and earlier within the 5.1.x release line. This security weakness resides in the server's handling of HTTP header processing and demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation mechanisms that govern how the application server interprets and processes client requests. The vulnerability specifically enables malicious actors to inject carriage return line feed sequences into HTTP headers, creating a pathway for exploitation that can fundamentally compromise the integrity of web application communications.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input within the WebContainer component, which processes HTTP requests and responses. When the application server encounters HTTP headers containing CRLF sequences, it fails to properly validate or escape these characters before incorporating them into the HTTP response. This processing gap creates opportunities for attackers to inject additional HTTP headers, effectively splitting the original HTTP response into multiple distinct responses. The vulnerability operates at the HTTP protocol level where the server's header processing logic does not adequately distinguish between legitimate header content and maliciously injected CRLF sequences that could alter the response structure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations deploying IBM WebSphere Application Server 5.1.x versions, particularly those handling sensitive data or implementing security-sensitive web applications. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform HTTP response splitting attacks, which can lead to various malicious outcomes including cross-site scripting attacks, session hijacking, cache poisoning, and transparent redirects to malicious content. The impact extends beyond simple data corruption as attackers can manipulate the server's response behavior to redirect users to phishing sites or inject malicious content into web pages. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require local system access or authentication credentials to leverage this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible web environments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official IBM security patches and updates. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to IBM WebSphere Application Server versions that contain the necessary fixes for this CRLF injection vulnerability. Additionally, implementing network-level controls such as web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms can provide temporary protection while longer-term patching occurs. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potentially compromised systems and monitor for suspicious network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-113, which describes improper neutralization of CRLF sequences in HTTP headers, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security measures to protect against such protocol-level weaknesses.