CVE-2009-5020 in AWStats
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in awredir.pl in AWStats before 6.95 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2021
The CVE-2009-5020 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw in the AWStats web analytics tool version 6.94 and earlier. This vulnerability exists within the awredir.pl component which serves as a redirector script designed to handle user navigation between different web pages. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the redirect functionality by crafting malicious URLs that would redirect users to arbitrary web sites without proper validation of the target destination. This creates a dangerous attack vector where malicious actors can exploit the redirect mechanism to deceive users into visiting fraudulent websites.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the redirector script. When users click on links that utilize the awredir.pl functionality, the script processes the target URL without adequate sanitization or verification of the destination parameter. This lack of proper validation means that attackers can inject malicious URLs that bypass normal security checks, allowing them to redirect users to phishing sites or malicious domains. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone who can craft malicious links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection and creates significant security risks for organizations using affected AWStats versions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns by redirecting users from legitimate analytics pages to fake login portals or malicious websites designed to steal credentials or sensitive information. The vulnerability also poses risks for social engineering attacks where users might be tricked into believing they are navigating to legitimate internal resources while actually being redirected to external malicious sites. This creates a trust exploitation scenario where the legitimate AWStats interface becomes a vector for malicious activity.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to AWStats version 6.95 or later which contains the necessary patches for this vulnerability. The fix typically involves implementing proper input validation and URL sanitization within the redirector script to ensure that only legitimate internal URLs are processed. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious redirect patterns. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in other redirector scripts or components that might be susceptible to the same class of attack. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 and follows patterns identified in the ATT&CK framework under initial access and credential access techniques where attackers leverage trust relationships to gain unauthorized access to systems. The mitigation strategies should include comprehensive security testing of web applications to prevent similar issues in other components and ensure proper validation of all user-supplied input across the entire application stack.