CVE-2016-15039 in phpLDAPadmin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/11/2024
A vulnerability classified as critical was found in mhuertos phpLDAPadmin up to 665dbc2690ebeb5392d38f1fece0a654225a0b38. Affected by this vulnerability is the function makeHttpRequest of the file htdocs/js/ajax_functions.js. The manipulation leads to http request smuggling. The attack can be launched remotely. This product does not use versioning. This is why information about affected and unaffected releases are unavailable. The patch is named dd6e9583a2eb2ca085583765e8a63df5904cb036. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-270523.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-15039 represents a critical security flaw in mhuertos phpLDAPadmin, specifically within the makeHttpRequest function located in the htdocs/js/ajax_functions.js file. This vulnerability falls under the category of HTTP request smuggling, a sophisticated attack vector that exploits inconsistencies in how HTTP requests are processed by servers and intermediaries. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate HTTP request handling mechanisms, potentially allowing them to bypass security controls or access unauthorized resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited remotely without requiring any authentication or privileged access, making it highly accessible to threat actors. The affected version of phpLDAPadmin, which lacks proper versioning, complicates the identification of vulnerable installations and the assessment of risk exposure across different deployments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of HTTP requests within the JavaScript function that manages AJAX operations. When the makeHttpRequest function processes user-supplied data, it fails to properly sanitize or validate input parameters that are subsequently used in HTTP request construction. This allows an attacker to craft malicious HTTP requests that can be interpreted differently by the server and proxy intermediaries, creating opportunities for request smuggling attacks. The HTTP request smuggling technique enables attackers to inject or manipulate HTTP headers, potentially allowing them to access restricted resources, perform unauthorized operations, or bypass security mechanisms that rely on proper HTTP request parsing. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic weakness in web application input validation and HTTP request processing, where insufficient sanitization of user-controllable parameters leads to security breaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access or manipulation, as HTTP request smuggling can enable more sophisticated attack patterns including cache poisoning, session hijacking, and cross-site request forgery exploitation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to manipulate how requests are processed by web servers, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive LDAP directory information or administrative functions within the phpLDAPadmin interface. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target vulnerable installations from anywhere on the internet, without requiring physical access or network proximity to the affected systems. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on phpLDAPadmin for directory services management, as it could compromise the integrity of their LDAP directory access controls and potentially expose sensitive organizational data.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch application, as the vendor has provided a specific fix identified by the commit hash dd6e9583a2eb2ca085583765e8a63df5904cb036. Organizations should prioritize updating their phpLDAPadmin installations to versions containing this patch, which addresses the improper HTTP request handling in the makeHttpRequest function. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring for suspicious HTTP request patterns and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block potentially malicious HTTP smuggling attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-444, which describes improper HTTP request handling, and represents a technique that could be categorized under ATT&CK tactic TA0011 (Command and Control) with techniques related to protocol manipulation and evasion. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their LDAP directory services and implement proper access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.