CVE-2011-4612 in icecast
Summary
by MITRE
icecast before 2.3.3 allows remote attackers to inject control characters such as newlines into the error loc (error.log) via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4612 affects Icecast versions prior to 2.3.3 and represents a significant security flaw in the streaming media server software. Icecast is widely used for broadcasting audio and video content over the internet, serving as a critical component in many media infrastructure deployments. This vulnerability specifically targets the error logging mechanism of the software, creating a potential avenue for remote code execution and system compromise through carefully crafted malicious input.
The technical flaw manifests in how Icecast processes and logs error messages when handling HTTP requests. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs that contain control characters such as newlines, carriage returns, and other special characters. When these malformed URLs are processed by the server, the control characters are injected directly into the error.log file without proper sanitization. This injection occurs because the application fails to properly validate and escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into log entries, creating a classic case of improper input validation and output encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple log manipulation. When control characters are injected into the error.log file, they can potentially disrupt the normal operation of logging systems and create opportunities for log injection attacks. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious content that might be parsed by log analysis tools or monitoring systems, potentially leading to unauthorized access or privilege escalation. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE-117, which addresses improper output neutralization for logs, and represents a specific implementation of CWE-77, dealing with command injection through improper input handling. Furthermore, this flaw can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1070.002, which covers the use of log injection to hide malicious activities within legitimate system logs.
The exploitation of CVE-2011-4612 demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization in network applications and highlights the risks associated with inadequate security controls in logging mechanisms. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Icecast should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the available patches, implementing input validation at multiple layers of the application, and configuring proper access controls for log files. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in log file entries that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for robust security practices in open source software deployments, where organizations must maintain vigilance in tracking and applying security updates to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.