CVE-2013-4961 in Puppet
Summary
by MITRE
Puppet Enterprise before 3.0.1 includes version information for the Apache and Phusion Passenger products in its HTTP response headers, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4961 affects Puppet Enterprise versions prior to 3.0.1 and represents a information disclosure flaw that exposes version details of underlying web server components through HTTP response headers. This issue stems from the inclusion of version strings for Apache and Phusion Passenger in the server response headers, creating a potential attack vector for threat actors seeking to gather intelligence about the target system's infrastructure. The flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates poor security configuration practices where system internals are unnecessarily exposed to external parties.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the web server response handling mechanism of Puppet Enterprise, where the software automatically includes version information for Apache web server and Phusion Passenger application server in HTTP headers sent to clients. This exposure happens without proper security controls or configuration options to disable such information disclosure, making it a default behavior that attackers can readily exploit. The vulnerability specifically affects the HTTP response headers that are transmitted during normal web communication, where the server identifies itself using these version strings. This type of information disclosure aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes weaknesses related to exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for Puppet Enterprise installations by providing attackers with critical system information that can be used for targeted exploitation. The exposed version information allows threat actors to identify specific versions of Apache and Phusion Passenger that are running, enabling them to search for known vulnerabilities specific to those versions and potentially leverage exploits that target these particular software components. This information disclosure can facilitate more sophisticated attacks where attackers can craft payloads specifically designed to exploit known vulnerabilities in the exposed versions, making the system more vulnerable to compromise. The impact extends beyond simple reconnaissance as it enables attackers to perform version-specific attacks that could lead to full system compromise.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK techniques including T1068, which involves the use of elevated privileges, and T1082, which covers system information discovery. The exposure of version information can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more advanced attacks where the attacker uses the disclosed information to identify potential attack vectors. Organizations running affected Puppet Enterprise versions face increased risk of targeted attacks, as the disclosed information reduces the element of surprise that attackers typically rely on during initial exploitation phases. The vulnerability also violates security best practices outlined in various compliance frameworks that require minimal information disclosure from web applications to prevent reconnaissance activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4961 involve upgrading Puppet Enterprise to version 3.0.1 or later, which resolves the information disclosure issue by removing the version information from HTTP response headers. Organizations should also implement proper header configuration to ensure that sensitive version information is not exposed through web server responses. Network security controls such as web application firewalls and security monitoring tools should be configured to detect and alert on unusual header patterns that might indicate this vulnerability. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities in other components of the infrastructure. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the upgrade does not introduce compatibility issues while maintaining the security posture of the system.