CVE-2019-4396 in Cloud Orchestrator
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cloud Orchestrator 2.4 through 2.4.0.5 and 2.5 through 2.5.0.9 is vulnerable to HTTP response splitting attacks, caused by improper validation of user-supplied input. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to inject arbitrary HTTP headers and cause the server to return a split response, once the URL is clicked. This would allow the attacker to perform further attacks, such as Web cache poisoning or cross-site scripting, and possibly obtain sensitive information. IBM X-Force ID: 162236.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2024
IBM Cloud Orchestrator versions 2.4 through 2.4.0.5 and 2.5 through 2.5.0.9 contain a critical HTTP response splitting vulnerability that stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms. This flaw exists in the application's handling of user-supplied URL parameters, where the system fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming data before processing. The vulnerability manifests when the application receives a malformed HTTP request containing specially crafted input that includes carriage return and line feed characters, which are then processed without adequate filtering. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-113, which defines improper neutralization of CRLF (Carriage Return Line Feed) sequences in HTTP headers, making it a classic example of HTTP response splitting. The attack vector requires a remote attacker to craft a malicious URL that, when clicked by a victim, triggers the vulnerable code path within the IBM Cloud Orchestrator application. When the server processes this malformed input, it injects arbitrary HTTP headers into the response, effectively splitting the HTTP response into multiple parts. This technique allows attackers to manipulate the server's response behavior and can be leveraged for sophisticated attacks including web cache poisoning, where malicious content is cached and served to other users, or cross-site scripting exploitation. The vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to inject malicious content that can execute in the context of a victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or privilege escalation. From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the integrity of the application's HTTP responses and can enable attackers to bypass security controls that depend on proper response handling. The attack requires minimal user interaction, as it only requires the victim to click on a maliciously crafted URL, making it particularly dangerous in phishing scenarios or when embedded in malicious advertisements. The vulnerability also represents a significant risk to the application's confidentiality and integrity, as it allows attackers to potentially obtain sensitive information that might be transmitted in HTTP headers or response bodies. Organizations using affected IBM Cloud Orchestrator versions should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, header sanitization, and URL encoding to prevent malicious input from reaching the vulnerable code paths. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application attack that could lead to privilege escalation and information gathering through the exploitation of HTTP response manipulation techniques. Given the nature of HTTP response splitting, the vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple sessions and user interactions, making it a high-priority remediation target for organizations relying on IBM Cloud Orchestrator for their orchestration needs.