CVE-2016-9839 in MapServer
Summary
by MITRE
In MapServer before 7.0.3, OGR driver error messages are too verbose and may leak sensitive information if data connection fails.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9839 affects MapServer versions prior to 7.0.3 and relates to excessive verbosity in error messages generated by the OGR driver component. This issue represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that can expose sensitive system details to unauthorized parties. The OGR driver serves as a crucial interface for handling various geospatial data formats within MapServer, making it a critical component for map rendering and data processing operations. When data connection failures occur during geospatial data handling, the system's verbose error reporting mechanism inadvertently reveals system-specific information that could aid malicious actors in understanding the underlying infrastructure.
The technical flaw stems from improper error handling within the OGR driver implementation where error messages contain excessive detail about the system environment, file paths, and internal processing states. This over-verbose error reporting occurs specifically during data connection failures when the driver attempts to process geospatial data from external sources. The vulnerability manifests when MapServer encounters issues such as missing files, incorrect file permissions, database connection failures, or malformed data structures during OGR driver operations. The system's response to these failures includes detailed stack traces, internal directory structures, and potentially sensitive configuration information that should remain hidden from external observers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it creates opportunities for attackers to gather intelligence about the target system. An attacker could potentially use the leaked information to identify system configurations, file locations, and processing workflows that might be exploited in subsequent attacks. This vulnerability particularly affects web-based mapping applications that utilize MapServer, as the error messages may be directly exposed to end users or web crawlers. The information leakage could enable more sophisticated attacks such as path traversal exploitation, database enumeration, or system reconnaissance that would otherwise be difficult to achieve without such detailed error information.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-209, which addresses "Information Exposure Through an Error Message," and represents a specific implementation weakness in error handling practices. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a reconnaissance technique under the information gathering phase where adversaries collect system information through error messages and other artifacts. Organizations using MapServer in production environments face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited through simple interaction with the mapping service, requiring no special privileges or complex attack vectors. The vulnerability demonstrates poor security-by-design principles where system robustness and security considerations were not adequately addressed in error handling mechanisms.
The recommended mitigations involve upgrading to MapServer version 7.0.3 or later where the verbose error message issue has been addressed through improved error handling and sanitization. System administrators should implement proper logging mechanisms that do not expose sensitive information while maintaining adequate diagnostic capabilities for legitimate troubleshooting. Input validation and sanitization should be enhanced to prevent error messages from revealing internal system details. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and security monitoring solutions that can detect and filter out potentially sensitive information in error responses. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities in other components of the geospatial infrastructure stack.