CVE-2016-2165 in Elastic Runtime
Summary
by MITRE
The Loggregator Traffic Controller endpoints in cf-release v231 and lower, Pivotal Elastic Runtime versions prior to 1.5.19 AND 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.20 are not cleansing request URL paths when they are invalid and are returning them in the 404 response. This could allow malicious scripts to be written directly into the 404 response.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2165 affects the Loggregator Traffic Controller component within Pivotal Cloud Foundry release versions up to v231 and specific Elastic Runtime versions prior to their respective security patches. This flaw exists in the handling of malformed HTTP request paths and represents a critical security oversight in the application's error response mechanism. The Loggregator Traffic Controller serves as a central component for collecting and forwarding application logs and metrics within the Cloud Foundry ecosystem, making it a potentially attractive target for attackers seeking to exploit information disclosure vulnerabilities.
The technical flaw manifests when the Traffic Controller receives requests with invalid URL paths that should be properly sanitized before being included in error responses. Instead of implementing proper input validation and sanitization, the system returns these malformed paths directly within the HTTP 404 error responses. This behavior creates an injection vector where malicious actors can craft specific URL paths containing script payloads that get executed when the 404 response is rendered in a browser context. The vulnerability stems from inadequate request path validation and improper output encoding practices during error handling procedures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable cross-site scripting attacks against users interacting with the affected system. When legitimate users or automated systems access malformed URLs, the embedded malicious scripts contained within the 404 responses could execute in the browser context of the victim, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised environment. The vulnerability affects the entire Cloud Foundry deployment since the Traffic Controller serves as a foundational component for log aggregation and monitoring across all applications running on the platform, making it a systemic risk rather than an application-specific issue.
Organizations affected by CVE-2016-2165 should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched versions of cf-release v232 or higher, Pivotal Elastic Runtime 1.5.19 or later, and 1.6.20 or later. The fix involves implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding for all URL paths in error responses, ensuring that any user-supplied data is properly escaped before being included in HTTP responses. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 Cross-Site Scripting and follows ATT&CK technique T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access, as the injection of malicious scripts into error responses can potentially lead to unauthorized access to user sessions or system resources. Security teams should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls to detect and block malformed URL patterns that could trigger this vulnerability, while also monitoring for unusual 404 response patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.