CVE-2017-8047 in Cloud Foundry
Summary
by MITRE
In Cloud Foundry router routing-release all versions prior to v0.163.0 and cf-release all versions prior to v274, in some applications, it is possible to append a combination of characters to the URL that will allow for an open redirect. An attacker could exploit this as a phishing attack to gain access to user credentials or other sensitive data. NOTE: 274 resolves the vulnerability but has a serious bug that is fixed in 275.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8047 affects Cloud Foundry router components within both routing-release versions prior to v0.163.0 and cf-release versions prior to v274. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web application routing mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the router's URL processing logic, creating an exploitable condition where malicious actors can manipulate URL parameters to redirect users to arbitrary destinations. The flaw exists specifically in how the system handles certain character combinations in URL paths, allowing for improper redirection behavior that bypasses normal security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the router's failure to properly sanitize and validate URL parameters before processing redirect requests. When applications receive URL requests containing specific character sequences, the routing component fails to adequately validate these inputs against a whitelist of allowed characters or patterns. This oversight creates an open redirect condition where attackers can append malicious URL parameters that cause the router to redirect users to attacker-controlled domains. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the HTTP redirect functionality, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments where multiple applications share routing infrastructure. According to CWE classification, this maps to CWE-601: URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect'), which is categorized as a high-risk vulnerability due to its potential for facilitating phishing attacks and credential theft.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-8047 extends beyond simple redirection capabilities, creating significant risks for user data protection and organizational security posture. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to craft convincing phishing campaigns where legitimate Cloud Foundry applications appear to redirect users to trusted domains while actually routing them to malicious sites designed to capture credentials or sensitive information. The vulnerability affects all applications running on affected Cloud Foundry versions, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant environments where numerous applications share common routing infrastructure. This creates a cascading security risk where a single vulnerable component can compromise multiple applications and user sessions. The open redirect condition can be exploited to bypass security controls such as CSRF protection mechanisms and can be combined with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated threats. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566: Phishing and T1071.004: Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as it enables attackers to manipulate application behavior and redirect traffic to malicious endpoints.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to routing-release version v0.163.0 or cf-release version v275, as version v274 contains a serious bug that was subsequently fixed in v275. The upgrade process must be carefully planned to ensure compatibility with existing applications and to avoid service disruption during the transition. Additional mitigations include implementing URL validation at the application level, configuring proper input sanitization for all routing parameters, and establishing monitoring for unusual redirect patterns. Network-level controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional defense-in-depth layers, though these should not replace proper application-level fixes. Security teams should also conduct thorough testing to verify that the upgrade resolves the vulnerability without introducing new issues, particularly given the known bug in v274. Regular security assessments of routing infrastructure and continuous monitoring for anomalous traffic patterns will help detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure ongoing protection against similar vulnerabilities.