CVE-2018-8863 in EncoreAnywhere
Summary
by MITRE • 11/10/2023
The HTTP header in Philips EncoreAnywhere contains data an attacker may be able to use to gain sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8863 resides within the HTTP header implementation of Philips EncoreAnywhere software, representing a significant information disclosure risk that could potentially compromise system security. This flaw manifests in the manner in which the application processes and handles HTTP headers, specifically exposing sensitive data that adversaries could exploit to gain unauthorized insights into the system's operational environment. The vulnerability falls under the category of information exposure, where the system inadvertently reveals confidential information through its response headers or processing mechanisms. The affected Philips EncoreAnywhere platform likely employs standard HTTP protocols for communication and authentication, but the improper handling of header data creates an avenue for attackers to extract potentially sensitive information that should remain protected. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning because HTTP headers often contain metadata about the server environment, application versions, and potentially authentication tokens or session identifiers that could be leveraged for further exploitation.
The technical implementation flaw involves the insecure processing of HTTP headers within the EncoreAnywhere application, where the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the data contained within these headers before exposing them to external parties. This misconfiguration allows attackers to observe header information that may contain system identifiers, software versions, or other metadata that could be used to identify specific vulnerabilities or attack vectors. The vulnerability is classified as an information disclosure issue, which aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of system data. The flaw likely exists in the application's response handling logic where HTTP headers are constructed or modified without adequate security controls, potentially allowing header injection or data leakage that could reveal internal system characteristics.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a pathway for threat actors to gather intelligence about the targeted system environment, which could significantly aid in planning more sophisticated attacks. The leaked information could include server software versions, operating system details, or application-specific identifiers that would enable attackers to tailor their exploitation strategies. The exposure of such data could facilitate targeted attacks against known vulnerabilities in specific software versions, or provide insights into the system architecture that could be used to bypass security controls. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where multiple systems are running similar software versions, as the leaked information could enable attackers to identify and target other vulnerable systems within the same network infrastructure. This information disclosure could also contribute to automated scanning and reconnaissance activities, where attackers use the leaked data to identify additional targets or vulnerabilities within the broader attack surface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8863 should focus on implementing proper HTTP header sanitization and validation mechanisms within the Philips EncoreAnywhere platform. Organizations should ensure that all HTTP headers are properly filtered to remove or obscure sensitive information before being transmitted to external parties. The implementation of security headers such as X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, and Content-Security-Policy can help reduce the attack surface by controlling how browsers interact with the application. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar header handling vulnerabilities within the application. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that no sensitive information is exposed through HTTP responses, and that all header data is properly validated and sanitized. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level controls and monitoring to detect unusual header patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, which emphasizes the need for proper input validation and output encoding to prevent information disclosure attacks. The remediation efforts should align with defensive techniques categorized under ATT&CK tactic TA0011 (Command and Control) and technique T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration through HTTP header manipulation.