CVE-2018-11119 in ILIAS
Summary
by MITRE
ILIAS 5.1.x, 5.2.x, and 5.3.x before 5.3.5 redirects a logged-in user to a third-party site via the return_to_url parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11119 affects ILIAS learning management systems versions 5.1.x through 5.3.x prior to 5.3.5, representing a critical security flaw that enables unauthorized redirection of authenticated users to external websites. This issue manifests through the return_to_url parameter which is improperly handled during the authentication process, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate user navigation. The vulnerability resides in the application's session management and URL validation mechanisms, where user-provided redirection URLs are not adequately sanitized or validated before being processed.
This security weakness falls under the category of open redirect vulnerabilities, which are classified as CWE-601 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The flaw operates by accepting user-supplied URLs without proper validation, allowing attackers to craft malicious links that appear legitimate to users while directing them to phishing sites or malicious domains. The vulnerability specifically impacts authenticated sessions where users are already logged into the ILIAS platform, making the attack vector particularly dangerous as it leverages existing trust relationships between users and the application. The redirection occurs during normal authentication workflows, making it difficult for users to detect the malicious activity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection, as it enables sophisticated social engineering attacks that can compromise user credentials and sensitive data. Attackers can exploit this flaw to create convincing phishing campaigns by redirecting users to fraudulent login pages that mimic the legitimate ILIAS interface. This creates a significant risk for educational institutions that rely on ILIAS for managing student data, course materials, and administrative functions. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email phishing campaigns, compromised web pages, or malicious links shared through social media platforms, potentially affecting thousands of authenticated users within an institution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11119 should prioritize immediate patching of affected ILIAS versions to 5.3.5 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper URL validation. Organizations should implement strict input validation for all redirect parameters, ensuring that only URLs within the application's trusted domain are accepted for redirection. Network-level controls such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by monitoring and blocking suspicious redirection patterns. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar flaws in other applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 - Phishing, with techniques including T1566.001 - Spearphishing Attachment and T1566.002 - Spearphishing Link, highlighting the social engineering aspects of exploitation. Regular security awareness training for users can help detect suspicious redirection attempts, while implementing proper logging and monitoring of authentication flows enables early detection of potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized redirection and establish clear incident response procedures for handling such security events.