CVE-2015-7318 in Plone
Summary
by MITRE
Plone 3.3.0 through 3.3.6 allows remote attackers to inject headers into HTTP responses.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7318 affects Plone content management systems version 3.3.0 through 3.3.6, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to manipulate HTTP response headers. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's header processing functionality. The vulnerability falls under the category of HTTP response header injection, which can be categorized as CWE-113 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. Such flaws typically arise when applications fail to properly escape or validate user-supplied data before incorporating it into HTTP headers, creating opportunities for malicious actors to inject arbitrary headers into server responses.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Plone processes user input that gets reflected into HTTP headers without proper sanitization. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input that, when processed by the application, results in the injection of additional HTTP headers into the response. This injection can occur through various vectors including form submissions, URL parameters, or other user-controllable inputs that are not properly validated before being used in header construction. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to manipulate the HTTP response in ways that can facilitate further attacks such as cross-site scripting, cache poisoning, or session manipulation. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly severe in environments where Plone systems are exposed to untrusted networks.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7318 extends beyond simple header injection, as it creates a potential gateway for more sophisticated attacks within the web application environment. When attackers successfully inject headers, they can manipulate browser behavior, redirect users to malicious sites, or interfere with security mechanisms such as content security policies and security headers. This vulnerability can be leveraged in conjunction with other attack vectors to create more complex exploitation scenarios, potentially leading to full system compromise. The risk is amplified in environments where Plone serves as a critical component of enterprise web infrastructure, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass security controls and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources. Organizations using affected Plone versions face significant exposure to man-in-the-middle attacks, session hijacking, and other header-based exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7318 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Plone installations to version 3.3.7 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures across all user-controllable data flows, ensuring that any data entering the application is properly escaped before being used in HTTP headers. Network-level defenses including web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional protection by monitoring for suspicious header injection patterns. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected components within their Plone installations, as this vulnerability may indicate broader input validation issues. The remediation process should align with industry best practices for secure coding and follow the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks to ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be implemented to verify the effectiveness of applied mitigations and to identify any new attack vectors that may emerge.