CVE-2014-9686 in Googlemaps Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Googlemaps plugin 3.2 and earlier for Joomla! allows remote attackers with control of a sub-domain belonging to a victim domain to cause a denial of service via the 'url' parameter to plugin_googlemap3_kmlprxy.php. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-7428.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-9686 represents a significant security flaw in the Googlemaps plugin for Joomla! versions 3.2 and earlier, specifically targeting the plugin_googlemap3_kmlprxy.php component. This issue arises from an incomplete remediation of a previously identified vulnerability CVE-2013-7428, demonstrating how partial fixes can leave systems vulnerable to continued exploitation. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks by manipulating the 'url' parameter, which creates a dangerous condition where malicious actors can leverage their control over a sub-domain to compromise the main domain's availability. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it exploits the trust relationship between domains, allowing attackers to use their sub-domain access to affect the parent domain's services. The vulnerability operates through a proxy mechanism that processes external URLs, creating a pathway for attackers to consume system resources or cause the application to become unresponsive. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of incomplete input validation and improper handling of external resources, which are commonly classified under CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be leveraged to exhaust server resources, potentially leading to complete system unavailability and affecting legitimate users who depend on the mapped services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's failure to properly validate or sanitize the 'url' parameter before processing it through the kmlprxy.php component. When an attacker provides a malicious URL through this parameter, the proxy component attempts to fetch and process the resource without adequate restrictions, potentially leading to resource exhaustion through repeated requests or by targeting resource-intensive endpoints. The vulnerability's persistence stems from the fact that the fix for CVE-2013-7428 was insufficient, leaving the underlying issue of inadequate URL validation unresolved. Attackers can exploit this by crafting URLs that either consume excessive bandwidth, trigger memory allocation issues, or cause the proxy to make repeated connections to external services. The attack scenario typically involves an attacker who has compromised or controls a sub-domain that shares the same parent domain, allowing them to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the vulnerable system. This exploitation pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service) as it leverages domain trust relationships to cause service disruption while potentially accessing or manipulating data through the proxy mechanism. The vulnerability essentially creates a condition where the plugin acts as an unwitting facilitator for resource exhaustion attacks, as it lacks proper bounds checking and input sanitization for external URL parameters.
Organizations utilizing affected Joomla! installations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to a patched version of the Googlemaps plugin, as the incomplete fix for CVE-2013-7428 was not sufficient to resolve all attack vectors. System administrators should also implement network-level restrictions that limit outbound connections from the web server to prevent exploitation through the proxy component. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all external URL parameters within the plugin's code is essential, ensuring that only trusted domains or properly formatted URLs are processed. The mitigation approach should include monitoring for unusual proxy activity and implementing rate limiting to prevent resource exhaustion attacks. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other plugins or components that might share similar patterns of incomplete input validation. The remediation process must include not just updating the plugin but also reviewing the broader application architecture for similar issues that could allow attackers to leverage domain trust relationships for malicious purposes. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious URL parameter patterns, providing an additional layer of protection against this type of resource exhaustion attack. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of complete vulnerability remediation and the potential consequences of partial fixes that leave underlying architectural weaknesses unaddressed.