CVE-2021-28169 in Communications Cloud Native Core Policy
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2021
For Eclipse Jetty versions
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2022
Eclipse Jetty is a widely used open source web server and servlet container that powers numerous enterprise applications and web services across various industries. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-28169 represents a critical security flaw that affects multiple versions of this foundational web infrastructure component. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the Jetty HTTP implementation, specifically concerning how the server processes certain HTTP headers and request parameters. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize and validate incoming HTTP requests, creating potential attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise the affected systems.
The technical nature of CVE-2021-28169 involves a vulnerability in the HTTP message parsing logic that allows for improper handling of malformed or crafted HTTP requests. When Jetty processes requests containing specially constructed headers or parameter values, the parsing mechanism does not adequately validate the input, potentially leading to memory corruption or unexpected behavior within the server process. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-20 category of "Improper Input Validation" and represents a classic example of how insufficient sanitization of user-provided data can lead to serious security consequences. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because HTTP request parsing occurs at the most fundamental level of web server operations, making it a prime target for exploitation.
From an operational standpoint, the exploitation of CVE-2021-28169 could result in severe consequences for organizations relying on affected Jetty versions. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the target system, leading to complete compromise of the web server and potentially broader network infiltration. The attack surface extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation opportunities. Organizations using vulnerable Jetty implementations may find their web applications exposed to automated scanning tools that actively seek out and exploit such known vulnerabilities, making the window of exposure particularly dangerous in production environments.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2021-28169 centers on immediate version upgrades to patched releases of Eclipse Jetty. Organizations should prioritize updating to the latest stable versions that contain the necessary security fixes and input validation improvements. Additionally, implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all systems running vulnerable Jetty versions and establish monitoring protocols to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1210 suggests that exploitation may involve techniques such as exploitation for privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms that could be leveraged by sophisticated attackers. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to ensure continued protection against similar threats and to maintain compliance with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.