CVE-2010-1157 in Tomcat
Summary
by MITRE
Apache Tomcat 5.5.0 through 5.5.29 and 6.0.0 through 6.0.26 might allow remote attackers to discover the server s hostname or IP address by sending a request for a resource that requires (1) BASIC or (2) DIGEST authentication, and then reading the realm field in the WWW-Authenticate header in the reply.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2024
This vulnerability in Apache Tomcat affects versions ranging from 5.5.0 through 5.5.29 and 6.0.0 through 6.0.26, presenting a significant information disclosure risk that can be exploited by remote attackers. The flaw specifically manifests when clients send authentication requests using either BASIC or DIGEST authentication mechanisms, allowing unauthorized parties to extract sensitive server identification information from the WWW-Authenticate header response. This vulnerability represents a classic case of information exposure through improper error handling and response construction.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the authentication process where Tomcat includes the server hostname or IP address within the realm field of the WWW-Authenticate header when responding to authentication requests. When an attacker sends a request to a protected resource requiring authentication, the server responds with a challenge that contains the realm information, which inadvertently reveals the server's network identification details. This occurs because the authentication realm field is constructed using server-specific information without proper sanitization or abstraction of sensitive network identifiers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable attackers to gather intelligence about the target environment and potentially facilitate more sophisticated attacks. An attacker who discovers the server hostname or IP address can use this information to conduct targeted reconnaissance, map network topology, or plan further exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-209, which addresses information exposure through error message containing sensitive information, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1082 for system information discovery. This intelligence gathering capability significantly reduces the attack surface and can lead to more effective subsequent exploitation phases.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Apache Tomcat where the vulnerability has been resolved, configuring authentication realms to use generic or non-specific identifiers, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure. The recommended approach involves deploying the latest stable versions of Tomcat 6.0.27 or higher, which contain fixes for this specific information disclosure issue. Additionally, security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that authentication realm fields do not inadvertently expose server-specific network information, and network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual authentication request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.