CVE-2014-1418 in Django
Summary
by MITRE
Django 1.4 before 1.4.13, 1.5 before 1.5.8, 1.6 before 1.6.5, and 1.7 before 1.7b4 does not properly include the (1) Vary: Cookie or (2) Cache-Control header in responses, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information or poison the cache via a request from certain browsers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1418 affects multiple versions of the Django web framework, specifically targeting versions 1.4 before 1.4.13, 1.5 before 1.5.8, 1.6 before 1.6.5, and 1.7 before 1.7b4. This security flaw stems from improper handling of HTTP caching headers, particularly the absence of crucial Vary: Cookie and Cache-Control headers in HTTP responses. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-524, which addresses information exposure through web cache manipulation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through cache poisoning attacks.
The technical flaw manifests when Django applications fail to include the Vary: Cookie header in responses that contain user-specific content or when they do not properly configure Cache-Control headers for sensitive data. This omission creates a condition where certain browsers may cache responses inappropriately, leading to potential information leakage. When the Vary: Cookie header is missing, web caches cannot properly distinguish between cached responses for different users, resulting in a scenario where authenticated content might be served to unauthorized users. The absence of proper Cache-Control headers allows malicious actors to exploit browser caching mechanisms to obtain sensitive information or perform cache poisoning attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables remote attackers to access sensitive information that should be restricted to authenticated users. Attackers can leverage the flawed caching behavior to poison caches with malicious content or retrieve cached responses that contain user-specific data. This vulnerability particularly affects applications that rely on Django's built-in caching mechanisms or that utilize browser caching for performance optimization. The exploitation scenario typically involves crafting specific requests that trigger the cache poisoning condition, potentially leading to session hijacking, data leakage, or privilege escalation within the affected applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-1418 involve upgrading to patched versions of Django where the issue has been resolved through proper implementation of caching headers. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Django versions 1.4.13, 1.5.8, 1.6.5, or 1.7b4 and later. Additionally, administrators should implement proper cache configuration practices including explicit setting of Cache-Control headers for sensitive responses and ensuring that Vary: Cookie headers are included in responses containing user-specific content. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify applications using affected Django versions and implement monitoring for potential cache poisoning attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices for web application caching as outlined in OWASP secure coding guidelines and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.