CVE-2010-4802 in Mojolicious
Summary
by MITRE
Commands.pm in Mojolicious before 0.999928 does not properly perform CGI environment detection, which has unspecified impact and remote attack vectors.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4802 affects the Mojolicious web framework version 0.999928 and earlier, specifically within the Commands.pm module where improper CGI environment detection occurs. This flaw represents a significant security weakness in the framework's ability to correctly identify and handle different execution environments. The issue stems from the framework's insufficient validation of CGI environment variables that are crucial for determining how web applications should process incoming requests and manage their operational context. When the framework fails to properly detect whether it is running in a CGI environment, it can lead to improper handling of request data and execution contexts that may be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of improper environment detection, which can be classified as a CWE-200 weakness related to information exposure through improper environment detection. The flaw allows attackers to potentially manipulate the framework's operational behavior by crafting requests that exploit the inadequate CGI environment detection mechanisms. This improper detection can result in various security implications including but not limited to request smuggling, improper input validation, and potential privilege escalation within the application context. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects the fundamental operational context detection capabilities of the framework, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security controls that depend on proper environment awareness.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates multiple attack vectors that could be leveraged by remote adversaries to compromise affected systems. The unspecified impact mentioned in the CVE description suggests that the consequences could range from information disclosure to full system compromise depending on how the framework is deployed and configured. Attackers could exploit this weakness by manipulating CGI environment variables or by crafting requests that trigger the flawed detection logic, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications built on Mojolicious that rely on proper CGI environment detection for security-sensitive operations, making it a critical concern for organizations running these applications in production environments.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to Mojolicious version 0.999928 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the CGI environment detection flaw. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and sanitization measures to reduce the potential impact of any exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in CGI environment variable handling that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, application developers should review their code to ensure that environment detection logic is properly implemented and validated, and that proper security controls are in place to prevent exploitation of such weaknesses. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper environment detection in web frameworks and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can have significant security implications, particularly when they affect core framework functionality that governs how applications handle incoming requests and manage their operational context according to established security standards and best practices.