CVE-2017-18178 in Redirection
Summary
by MITRE
Authenticate/SWT in Progress Sitefinity 9.1 has an open redirect issue in which an authentication token is sent to the redirection target, if the target is specified using a certain %40 syntax. This is fixed in 10.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-18178 affects Sitefinity version 9.1 and represents a critical open redirect flaw that exploits authentication mechanisms to facilitate unauthorized access. This issue specifically impacts the authentication and single sign-on (SSO) functionality within the Sitefinity content management system, where the platform fails to properly validate redirect URLs during the authentication process. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation of redirect targets, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the authentication flow by crafting specific URL parameters that bypass normal security checks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the %40 syntax in redirect URLs, which represents the URL-encoded version of the @ symbol. When an authentication token is present in the request, the system incorrectly processes redirect targets that contain this specific encoding pattern, potentially allowing attackers to redirect users to malicious domains while preserving the authentication token. This creates a dangerous scenario where legitimate users might be unknowingly redirected to phishing sites or attacker-controlled servers, enabling credential theft and session hijacking attacks. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication flow in Sitefinity's authentication and SWT (Simple Web Token) in progress functionality, where the system does not adequately sanitize or validate the destination URLs before redirecting users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks, as it can be leveraged for sophisticated social engineering campaigns and credential harvesting operations. Attackers can craft malicious links that appear legitimate to users while redirecting them to attacker-controlled domains, potentially compromising user accounts and gaining unauthorized access to sensitive content management systems. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the authentication process and can lead to unauthorized access to administrative functions, content manipulation, and potential data breaches. Organizations using Sitefinity 9.1 are particularly vulnerable as the issue remains unresolved in this version, making it a prime target for exploitation in environments where authentication tokens are frequently used.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-601 Open Redirect in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses the issue of web applications redirecting users to unvalidated external URLs. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 Phishing, as it enables the creation of convincing phishing attacks that leverage legitimate authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate security controls in the redirect handling mechanism, which are fundamental requirements for secure web application development. Organizations should implement comprehensive URL validation and sanitization measures to prevent such issues, ensuring that all redirect targets are properly verified against a whitelist of trusted domains. The fix implemented in Sitefinity version 10.1 demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and the necessity of maintaining current software versions to protect against known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also highlights the critical importance of proper authentication token handling and the need for robust security controls in SSO implementations to prevent credential leakage through improper redirect mechanisms.