CVE-2012-2270 in ownCloud
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in index.php (aka the Login Page) in ownCloud before 3.0.3 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a URL in the redirect_url parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2025
The CVE-2012-2270 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw in the ownCloud authentication system that affected versions prior to 3.0.3. This vulnerability specifically targets the index.php file, which serves as the primary login page for the cloud storage platform. The flaw enables malicious actors to manipulate the redirect_url parameter, creating a pathway for unauthorized redirection of users to arbitrary web addresses. The vulnerability resides within the application's session management and authentication flow, where user redirection logic fails to properly validate or sanitize input parameters before executing redirects. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-601 category, which specifically addresses open redirect vulnerabilities and represents a significant security risk in web applications that handle user authentication and session management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of proper input validation within the redirect_url parameter processing. When users attempt to log into ownCloud, the application accepts a redirect_url parameter that should ideally direct users back to the intended application page after successful authentication. However, the flawed validation mechanism allows attackers to supply any URL in this parameter, bypassing the application's normal security controls. The vulnerability essentially creates a trust relationship between the legitimate ownCloud application and external domains, enabling attackers to craft malicious URLs that appear to originate from the trusted ownCloud domain. This behavior aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically the sub-technique T1566.001 which involves the use of malicious redirects in phishing campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple redirection, as it provides attackers with a powerful vector for conducting sophisticated phishing attacks. When users are redirected to malicious sites through the compromised ownCloud login page, they may be tricked into entering credentials for legitimate services, believing they are accessing the genuine ownCloud interface. This creates a highly effective social engineering attack surface where the trust relationship between users and the ownCloud application is exploited to harvest sensitive information. The vulnerability particularly impacts organizations relying on ownCloud for file sharing and collaboration, as compromised authentication flows can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, potential data exfiltration, and extended attack surfaces for further exploitation. The flaw affects the core authentication mechanism, making it a critical issue that requires immediate remediation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2270 involve implementing strict input validation and sanitization for all redirect parameters within the authentication flow. Organizations should ensure that the redirect_url parameter only accepts URLs from predefined, trusted domains or follows a strict whitelist approach to prevent redirection to external sites. The solution typically involves implementing proper URL validation logic that verifies the target URL against a list of approved destinations before executing any redirect operations. Security patches for ownCloud 3.0.3 and subsequent versions addressed this issue by strengthening the validation mechanisms in the index.php file and implementing more robust session management protocols. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing security headers such as Content Security Policy to prevent unauthorized redirects and ensure that authentication flows maintain proper security boundaries. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other authentication mechanisms within the application stack.