CVE-2014-2208 in HipHop Virtual Machine
Summary
by MITRE
CRLF injection vulnerability in the LightProcess protocol implementation in hphp/util/light-process.cpp in Facebook HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM) before 2.4.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands by entering a \n (newline) character before the end of a string.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2022
The CVE-2014-2208 vulnerability represents a critical CRLF injection flaw within Facebook's HipHop Virtual Machine implementation that fundamentally compromises the security of web applications relying on HHVM for processing. This vulnerability specifically targets the LightProcess protocol handling mechanism located in the hphp/util/light-process.cpp source file, which serves as a core component for process management and communication within the HHVM runtime environment. The flaw arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization of string parameters that are processed through the LightProcess protocol, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject malicious control characters that can disrupt normal application behavior and potentially enable arbitrary code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the fundamental nature of CRLF (Carriage Return Line Feed) injection attacks where attackers can insert newline characters at strategic points within input strings to manipulate the processing flow. In this specific case, when a newline character is inserted before the end of a string within the LightProcess protocol implementation, it allows attackers to inject malicious commands that bypass normal input validation checks. This occurs because the vulnerable code does not properly sanitize or escape input parameters before processing them through the LightProcess protocol, creating a condition where the newline character can be interpreted as a command separator or injection point within the underlying system calls or process management functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2208 extends beyond simple command injection to potentially enable full system compromise when applications are configured with elevated privileges or when the vulnerable HHVM instance processes user-controllable input. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary system commands on the host server, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data, modifying system configurations, or establishing persistent access points within the compromised environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in web application contexts where HHVM serves as the backend processing engine, as it can be exploited through various input vectors including HTTP request parameters, file uploads, or API endpoints that pass user input directly to the LightProcess protocol handlers without proper sanitization.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-117, which specifically addresses improper output neutralization for logs, and relates to the broader category of injection flaws that have been consistently identified as critical threats in cybersecurity frameworks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.001 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage system command execution capabilities to gain control over compromised systems. Organizations running affected versions of HHVM should immediately implement security patches and apply the updated version 2.4.2 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing robust input validation at multiple layers, deploying web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious newline character patterns, and conducting thorough security assessments of all applications that utilize HHVM to ensure proper sanitization of input parameters before they reach the LightProcess protocol handlers. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and the potential for seemingly minor implementation flaws to create significant security risks in widely deployed software systems.