CVE-2018-14474 in Orange
Summary
by MITRE
views/auth.go in Orange Forum 1.4.0 allows Open Redirection via the next parameter to /login or /signup.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14474 represents a critical open redirection flaw within the Orange Forum 1.4.0 web application. This security weakness specifically affects the authentication flow by permitting malicious actors to manipulate the next parameter during login or signup processes. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied parameters, creating an avenue for attackers to redirect users to arbitrary external domains. The affected component views/auth.go demonstrates a lack of proper parameter filtering that allows attackers to craft malicious URLs containing crafted next parameter values. This flaw enables threat actors to construct deceptive login pages that appear legitimate while redirecting users to phishing sites or malicious domains. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-601 Open Redirect vulnerability classification, which is categorized under the broader category of injection flaws in software security. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability falls under T1566.001 Initial Access: Phishing with Malicious Link, as it enables attackers to create convincing phishing campaigns that leverage legitimate application interfaces. The security implications extend beyond simple redirection as it can facilitate credential theft, malware distribution, and social engineering attacks. The flaw exists because the application does not properly validate or sanitize the next parameter value before using it in redirection logic, allowing any URL to be passed through the authentication flow. This creates a dangerous attack surface where users may be unknowingly redirected to attacker-controlled domains. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in forum environments where users trust the application interface and may be less vigilant about verifying destination URLs. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious links that appear to be legitimate forum navigation but actually redirect to phishing sites or domains hosting malicious payloads. The impact on user security is significant as it undermines the trust model of the application and can lead to widespread credential compromise. Organizations using Orange Forum 1.4.0 should immediately address this vulnerability through proper input validation, parameter sanitization, and implementing a whitelist of allowed redirect domains. The fix should enforce strict validation of the next parameter to ensure it points to legitimate internal application paths only, preventing any external redirection. Additionally, security headers and proper error handling should be implemented to prevent abuse of the authentication flow. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation in web applications and the potential for seemingly minor flaws to create substantial security risks in user authentication flows. The remediation process should include thorough code review of authentication components and implementation of proper security controls to prevent similar issues in other application modules.