CVE-2010-3172 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in Bugzilla before 3.2.9, 3.4.x before 3.4.9, 3.6.x before 3.6.3, and 4.0.x before 4.0rc1, when Server Push is enabled in a web browser, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers and content, and conduct HTTP response splitting attacks, via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2021
The CVE-2010-3172 vulnerability represents a critical CRLF injection flaw in Bugzilla software versions prior to specific patch releases, exploiting the Server Push functionality to enable remote attackers to manipulate HTTP headers and content. This vulnerability resides within the web application's handling of user-supplied input that is directly incorporated into HTTP response headers without proper sanitization or validation. The flaw specifically manifests when Server Push is enabled in web browsers, creating a pathway for attackers to inject malicious carriage return line feed sequences that can alter the HTTP response structure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within Bugzilla's response generation process. When Server Push is active, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters including carriage return and line feed sequences that are commonly represented as \r\n in ASCII encoding. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing these sequences to inject arbitrary HTTP headers into the response, effectively bypassing normal security controls and potentially enabling various attack vectors including session hijacking, cross-site scripting, and cache poisoning. This vulnerability operates at the HTTP protocol level, making it particularly dangerous as it can manipulate the fundamental communication between web server and client browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3172 extends beyond simple header injection, as it enables HTTP response splitting attacks that can have severe consequences for web application security. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can inject malicious content into HTTP responses, potentially redirecting users to phishing sites, injecting malicious scripts, or manipulating browser behavior through crafted response headers. The vulnerability affects multiple major release branches of Bugzilla, including versions 3.2.8 and earlier, 3.4.8 and earlier, 3.6.2 and earlier, and 4.0rc0 and earlier, indicating a widespread exposure across the software's user base. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-113, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of CRLF sequences in HTTP headers, and represents a classic example of HTTP response splitting as outlined in various security frameworks.
Organizations utilizing affected Bugzilla versions face significant risks including potential data breaches, user session compromise, and service disruption through cache poisoning attacks. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard web browser interactions, making it particularly dangerous for widespread deployment. Security practitioners should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Mitigation strategies include disabling Server Push functionality when possible, implementing robust input validation at all application layers, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious CRLF sequences in HTTP requests. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper HTTP header sanitization and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190, which covers exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications through HTTP response manipulation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls throughout the application lifecycle.