CVE-2011-2732 in SpringSource Spring Security
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in the logout functionality in VMware SpringSource Spring Security before 2.0.7 and 3.0.x before 3.0.6 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTTP headers and conduct HTTP response splitting attacks via the spring-security-redirect parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2024
The CVE-2011-2732 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting and response splitting flaw in the VMware SpringSource Spring Security framework versions prior to 2.0.7 and 3.0.6. This vulnerability specifically targets the logout functionality where the spring-security-redirect parameter is processed without adequate input validation or sanitization. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious carriage return line feed sequences into HTTP headers, creating conditions for HTTP response splitting attacks that can be exploited to manipulate web browser behavior and potentially redirect users to malicious sites.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied input within the redirect parameter processing logic. When the logout functionality processes the spring-security-redirect parameter, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the input before incorporating it into HTTP response headers. This creates a classic CRLF injection vector where attackers can insert malicious sequences such as \r\n followed by custom HTTP headers, allowing them to inject arbitrary headers into the HTTP response. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the HTTP protocol implementation within the Spring Security framework.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2732 extends beyond simple header injection, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, cross-site scripting, and web cache poisoning. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to redirect users to malicious domains, inject malicious content into web pages, or manipulate browser behavior through crafted HTTP headers. The vulnerability affects organizations using affected Spring Security versions in their web applications, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling unauthorized access to sensitive resources. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-113, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of CRLF characters in HTTP headers, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1189, which covers content injection attacks targeting web applications.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Spring Security versions 2.0.7 or 3.0.6 and later to remediate this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all redirect parameters, particularly those used in authentication and logout functionality. Additional protective measures include deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious header sequences, implementing strict header validation rules, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation in web security and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in HTTP header processing can lead to significant security compromises. Organizations should also consider implementing security monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous HTTP header patterns and provide alerts for potential CRLF injection attempts.