CVE-2015-5173 in Runtime
Summary
by MITRE
Cloud Foundry Runtime cf-release before 216, UAA before 2.5.2, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry (PCF) Elastic Runtime before 1.7.0 allow attackers to have unspecified impact via vectors involving emails with password recovery links, aka "Cross Domain Referer Leakage."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5173 represents a critical cross-domain referer leakage issue affecting Cloud Foundry runtime environments and associated components. This security flaw impacts multiple versions of the Cloud Foundry platform, specifically cf-release versions prior to 216, UAA versions prior to 2.5.2, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry Elastic Runtime versions prior to 1.7.0. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of HTTP referer headers during password recovery processes, creating a pathway for attackers to exploit cross-domain information leakage mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of email password recovery links that contain sensitive information. When users receive password reset emails, the links often include referer headers that inadvertently expose domain information to external domains. This occurs because the platform fails to properly sanitize or validate the referer information embedded within the password recovery mechanisms. The flaw allows attackers to construct malicious email templates or exploit existing recovery flows to extract domain-specific information that should remain isolated within the application boundary.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform reconnaissance activities that would otherwise be restricted by proper domain isolation mechanisms. The leaked referer information can reveal internal domain structures, application configurations, and potentially sensitive operational details that aid in planning more sophisticated attacks. This cross-domain leakage can facilitate advanced persistent threat campaigns where attackers use the exposed information to map network topology, identify internal services, or craft more convincing social engineering attacks against users within the affected domains. The unspecified impact mentioned in the CVE description suggests that the vulnerability could enable various attack vectors beyond simple information disclosure, potentially including session hijacking or privilege escalation scenarios.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which addresses the issue of session fixation and cross-domain information leakage in web applications. Additionally, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically focusing on the initial access phase through phishing and credential theft mechanisms. Organizations using affected Cloud Foundry versions face significant risk as attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain intelligence about their internal infrastructure, potentially leading to more severe compromise scenarios. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential privilege escalation and lateral movement capabilities within the compromised environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected components to version 216 or later for cf-release, 2.5.2 or later for UAA, and 1.7.0 or later for Pivotal Cloud Foundry Elastic Runtime. Organizations should also implement proper referer header validation mechanisms within their password recovery flows, ensuring that sensitive information is not inadvertently exposed through HTTP headers. Network-level controls including firewalls and web application firewalls should be configured to monitor and restrict cross-domain referer information leakage. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive reviews of all email templates and password recovery mechanisms to identify and remediate similar patterns that might expose internal domain information. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be performed to validate that referer header handling has been properly implemented across all application components.