CVE-2010-4572 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in chart.cgi in Bugzilla before 3.2.10, 3.4.x before 3.4.10, 3.6.x before 3.6.4, and 4.0.x before 4.0rc2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers and conduct HTTP response splitting attacks via the query string, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-2761 and CVE-2010-4411.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2021
The CVE-2010-4572 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting and header injection flaw discovered in Bugzilla's chart.cgi script across multiple versions including 3.2.9, 3.4.9, 3.6.3, and 4.0rc1. This vulnerability specifically affects the handling of user-supplied input within the query string parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate HTTP headers and execute response splitting attacks. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the web application's chart generation functionality, where user-provided data directly influences the HTTP response headers without proper filtering or encoding. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates a classic weakness in web application security where user-controllable data is improperly handled in HTTP header construction, making it a prime candidate for man-in-the-middle attacks and session hijacking scenarios.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the insertion of carriage return line feed sequences into the query string parameters that are then processed by the chart.cgi script. When an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing CRLF sequences within the query parameters, these sequences are interpreted by the web server as HTTP header terminators rather than normal data input. This allows the attacker to inject arbitrary HTTP headers into the response, potentially including Set-Cookie directives, Content-Type modifications, or other header fields that can alter the behavior of the HTTP response. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it enables HTTP response splitting attacks where a single request can generate multiple HTTP responses, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious content or redirect users to malicious sites. The flaw aligns with CWE-113, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of CRLF sequences in HTTP headers, and represents a variant of the broader category of header injection vulnerabilities that have been documented in numerous web application security frameworks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple header injection to encompass serious security implications including session hijacking, cross-site scripting attacks, and potential data manipulation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to manipulate the browser's interpretation of HTTP responses, potentially causing users to be redirected to malicious sites or have their session cookies manipulated. The vulnerability affects Bugzilla installations across multiple version branches, indicating a widespread exposure within the application ecosystem and requiring immediate attention from system administrators. Organizations using affected versions of Bugzilla face significant risk of unauthorized access and data compromise, particularly in environments where Bugzilla is used for sensitive issue tracking and vulnerability management. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would fall within the T1566 technique category for credential access through malicious file execution, while also aligning with T1071 for application layer protocol usage in header manipulation attacks.
The recommended mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4572 include immediate patching of affected Bugzilla versions to the corrected releases, specifically upgrading to Bugzilla 3.2.10, 3.4.10, 3.6.4, or 4.0rc2 respectively. Organizations should implement input validation and sanitization measures to prevent CRLF sequences from being processed within query string parameters, particularly in the chart.cgi script. Additional protective measures include deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block CRLF injection attempts, implementing proper header encoding for all user-supplied data, and conducting regular security audits of web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses. System administrators should also consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect suspicious HTTP header patterns and establish incident response procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and the need for comprehensive security testing of web applications, particularly those handling user-supplied data in HTTP header contexts. Organizations should also review their application security practices against established frameworks such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework to ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities in their web application environments.