CVE-2013-4955 in Puppet
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in the login page in Puppet Enterprise before 3.0.1 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a URL in the service parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2022
The CVE-2013-4955 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw in Puppet Enterprise versions prior to 3.0.1 that specifically affects the login page functionality. This vulnerability resides in the service parameter handling mechanism, where the application fails to properly validate or sanitize URL inputs before redirecting users. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the redirect behavior by injecting malicious URLs into the service parameter, creating a pathway for sophisticated social engineering attacks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it occurs during the authentication process when users are redirected to the service they originally requested after successful login, making it difficult for users to distinguish between legitimate and malicious redirects.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the Puppet Enterprise authentication framework. The service parameter, which is typically used to specify the destination URL after successful authentication, is processed without proper validation to ensure it points to a trusted domain or path within the Puppet infrastructure. This allows attackers to craft malicious URLs that appear legitimate but redirect users to phishing sites or malicious domains. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-601 Open Redirect vulnerability, which falls under the broader category of web application security flaws that enable attackers to redirect users to unintended destinations. The flaw operates at the application layer, specifically within the web server's URL handling logic, making it accessible through standard HTTP requests without requiring any special privileges or authentication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attacks, as it can be leveraged to conduct sophisticated credential theft operations. Attackers can create convincing phishing pages that mimic the Puppet Enterprise login interface, capturing user credentials when victims attempt to authenticate. The vulnerability also enables more advanced attack vectors such as cross-site request forgery exploitation, where attackers can manipulate user sessions or perform unauthorized actions within the Puppet environment. Given that Puppet Enterprise is commonly used for configuration management and infrastructure automation, successful exploitation could potentially provide attackers with access to critical system configurations and deployment scripts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through phishing and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage. The attack surface is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Puppet is used for managing large-scale infrastructure deployments, as successful exploitation could compromise entire network configurations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4955 should focus on implementing proper input validation and URL sanitization mechanisms within the Puppet Enterprise authentication flow. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Puppet Enterprise version 3.0.1 or later, which includes the necessary patches to address the open redirect vulnerability. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict domain validation for redirect URLs, using a whitelist approach for acceptable redirect destinations, and configuring the application to only allow redirects to internal or explicitly trusted domains. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls with rules specifically designed to detect and block suspicious redirect patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper parameter validation in authentication flows and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws can have significant security implications in enterprise software environments. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Puppet Enterprise installations to identify any additional vulnerabilities and ensure proper configuration management practices are in place to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.