CVE-2016-10530 in airbrake Module
Summary
by MITRE
The airbrake module 0.3.8 and earlier defaults to sending environment variables over HTTP. Environment variables can often times contain secret keys and other sensitive values. A malicious user could be on the same network as a regular user and intercept all the secret keys the user is sending. This goes against common best practice, which is to use HTTPS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2023
The airbrake module version 0.3.8 and earlier contains a critical security vulnerability that fundamentally undermines the confidentiality of sensitive data transmitted by applications. This vulnerability stems from the module's default configuration which unconditionally sends environment variables containing authentication tokens, API keys, and other secret credentials over unencrypted HTTP connections rather than the secure HTTPS protocol. The flaw represents a significant deviation from established security best practices and creates a severe attack surface that exposes applications to man-in-the-middle attacks and network-level eavesdropping. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because environment variables often contain production secrets, database credentials, cloud service tokens, and other sensitive information that could grant attackers full access to backend systems and data repositories.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the network communication layer where the airbrake module fails to enforce secure transmission protocols for sensitive data. When applications using this module send error reports or diagnostic information containing environment variables, these payloads are transmitted without encryption, making them susceptible to interception by any network entity capable of monitoring traffic. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and secure by design methodologies that require all sensitive data transmission to occur over encrypted channels. The vulnerability is classified as a configuration error that defaults to insecure practices, making it particularly insidious since developers may unknowingly deploy applications with this exposed communication channel. Network security frameworks such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines explicitly identify insecure communication as a critical risk factor that can lead to credential theft and system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass potential system compromise and data breaches that could affect entire organizational infrastructures. An attacker positioned on the same network segment or capable of intercepting traffic through routing manipulation could capture authentication tokens, API keys, and other sensitive variables that would otherwise remain protected. This exposure could enable attackers to escalate privileges, access restricted resources, perform unauthorized transactions, or exfiltrate sensitive data from applications. The vulnerability affects any application using airbrake module versions prior to 0.3.9, creating a widespread risk across organizations that may have deployed multiple applications using this dependency. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments as it represents a classic example of how default configurations can create security weaknesses that persist until actively addressed.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to airbrake module version 0.3.9 or later to resolve this vulnerability, as the fix implements mandatory HTTPS transmission for all sensitive data. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive network audits to identify any applications still using vulnerable versions and implement network segmentation to reduce the attack surface. The mitigation strategy should include network monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns and implementation of automated scanning tools to detect vulnerable dependencies. Organizations should also review their application deployment pipelines to ensure that security configurations are enforced through automated checks rather than manual processes. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure configuration management and the need for continuous security assessment of third-party dependencies, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques related to credential access and defense evasion through insecure configurations.