CVE-2012-0865 in CubeCart
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple open redirect vulnerabilities in CubeCart 3.0.20 and earlier allow remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a URL in the (1) r parameter to switch.php or (2) goto parameter to admin/login.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0865 represents a critical open redirect flaw affecting CubeCart 3.0.20 and earlier versions of the e-commerce platform. This vulnerability manifests in two distinct attack vectors within the application's authentication and navigation mechanisms. The first vector occurs in the switch.php script where the r parameter fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied URLs, while the second vector exists in the admin/login.php script through the goto parameter. These flaws collectively enable attackers to manipulate the application's redirect functionality and steer users toward malicious destinations without proper validation.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the web application's redirect logic. The affected parameters r and goto are directly incorporated into the application's redirect mechanisms without proper security checks, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary URLs that bypass the application's intended navigation flow. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-601 classification for URL redirect vulnerabilities, specifically CWE-601.0.1 which addresses open redirect flaws in web applications. The absence of proper URL validation and domain restriction checks creates an exploitable condition where user-controllable input directly influences the application's redirect behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection, creating significant security risks for both end users and application administrators. Attackers can leverage this flaw to conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns by redirecting users to malicious sites that mimic legitimate banking or e-commerce interfaces. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in phishing contexts as it allows attackers to bypass user suspicion by appearing to redirect from legitimate application pages. This opens the door for credential theft, malware distribution, and other malicious activities that rely on user trust in the application's navigation flow. The vulnerability affects the application's integrity and user trust, potentially leading to data breaches and financial losses for both users and the organization operating the vulnerable system.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all redirect parameters, implementing strict URL validation that only allows redirects to trusted domains, and applying proper encoding to prevent malicious URL injection. The recommended approach involves implementing a whitelist validation mechanism for redirect destinations, ensuring that only pre-approved URLs or relative paths are permitted. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as HTTP headers that prevent open redirects, and monitoring for suspicious redirect patterns in application logs. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security risks, specifically addressing the issue of insecure redirects and the broader category of injection flaws that can compromise application security and user safety.