CVE-2018-6889 in Typesetter
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Typesetter 5.1. It suffers from a Host header injection vulnerability, Using this attack, a malicious user can poison the web cache or perform advanced password reset attacks or even trigger arbitrary user re-direction.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6889 represents a critical host header injection flaw within Typesetter 5.1 content management system. This weakness arises from insufficient validation of the Host header parameter in HTTP requests, allowing attackers to manipulate the host information that the application uses to construct URLs and redirects. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate the Host header value before incorporating it into internal processing logic, creating a pathway for malicious exploitation. Such injection attacks can be particularly dangerous as they allow attackers to manipulate how the application handles requests and responses, potentially leading to severe security consequences.
The technical exploitation of this host header injection vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the application's behavior in multiple ways. The most significant impact occurs when attackers can poison web caches by injecting malicious host headers that cause cached responses to contain attacker-controlled content. This cache poisoning can affect multiple users who subsequently receive compromised content from the cache. Additionally, the vulnerability can be leveraged to perform advanced password reset attacks by manipulating the Host header to inject malicious domains into reset emails, potentially redirecting users to attacker-controlled sites. The arbitrary user redirection capability allows attackers to craft malicious links that appear legitimate but redirect users to phishing or malicious websites, exploiting the trust users place in the Typesetter application.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-6889 extends beyond simple data theft or service disruption, as it fundamentally undermines the integrity of the application's security mechanisms. Organizations using Typesetter 5.1 face potential exposure to credential theft, session hijacking, and phishing attacks that can compromise user accounts and sensitive information. The vulnerability's ability to manipulate password reset flows creates a particularly dangerous attack vector since it can bypass traditional security controls designed to protect user authentication processes. Furthermore, the cache poisoning aspect can lead to widespread distribution of malicious content across the application's user base, potentially affecting thousands of users simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing strict input validation and sanitization of Host header values. Organizations should ensure that the application validates Host headers against a predefined whitelist of acceptable domains and rejects any requests containing unexpected or malicious host values. The implementation of proper HTTP header handling mechanisms, including the use of secure redirects that do not rely on user-supplied Host headers, can significantly reduce the attack surface. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious Host header patterns, and regularly audit their applications for similar injection vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1190, specifically targeting web application vulnerabilities through host header manipulation. Regular security updates and patch management procedures should be implemented to address this class of vulnerabilities and prevent similar issues in other applications.