CVE-2011-5079 in irfaq
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in the Modern FAQ (irfaq) extension 1.1.2 and other versions before 1.1.4 for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a URL, probably in the "return url parameter."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2019
The CVE-2011-5079 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw within the Modern FAQ (irfaq) extension for TYPO3 content management system. This vulnerability affects versions 1.1.2 and earlier, with the issue being resolved in version 1.1.4. The flaw manifests through improper validation of URL parameters, specifically the return URL parameter, which allows malicious actors to manipulate the redirection flow. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and validation mechanisms that fail to properly check the legitimacy of redirect targets. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs that contain crafted return parameters, enabling them to redirect unsuspecting users to attacker-controlled domains. This opens the door to various social engineering attacks, including phishing campaigns where victims are led to believe they are navigating within a legitimate website while actually being redirected to malicious endpoints.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the extension's failure to properly validate and sanitize URL parameters before processing them for redirection. When a user interacts with the FAQ extension and provides a return URL parameter, the system should validate that the target domain matches the expected domain or is explicitly allowed. However, the vulnerable code fails to perform this validation, allowing any URL to be processed as a legitimate redirect target. The flaw is categorized under CWE-601 as an Open Redirect vulnerability, which specifically addresses the issue of web applications redirecting users to untrusted domains without proper validation. This weakness enables attackers to create convincing phishing pages that appear to originate from legitimate TYPO3 installations, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on the platform for content management and user interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks, as it provides attackers with a powerful vector for conducting sophisticated phishing operations. Users who encounter the malicious redirect may be tricked into entering sensitive information on attacker-controlled sites, believing they are still within the trusted domain. This risk is amplified in enterprise environments where TYPO3 installations are used for internal knowledge bases, customer portals, or public websites where user trust is paramount. The vulnerability can be exploited across multiple attack vectors, including email campaigns, compromised links in forums, or social media posts that direct users to malicious sites through the vulnerable redirect mechanism. Organizations may face significant reputational damage and potential data breaches when users fall victim to these attacks, as the redirection appears legitimate due to the TYPO3 extension's trusted context.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-5079 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected TYPO3 extension to version 1.1.4 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as monitoring for suspicious redirect patterns in web server logs and implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious redirect attempts. The solution involves implementing strict URL validation that ensures redirect targets are either within the same domain or explicitly permitted domains, preventing arbitrary redirection to external sites. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments of TYPO3 extensions and maintain updated inventories of installed modules to quickly identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. Organizations can implement the principle of least privilege by restricting redirect functionality to only trusted domains and implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of the application stack. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 as "Phishing" with techniques involving "Spearphishing via Service" and "Phishing for Information" where the initial compromise occurs through malicious redirects. Additional security controls should include user education about recognizing suspicious redirects and implementing content security policies that restrict the domains to which web applications can redirect users.