CVE-2022-3175 in rdiffweb
Summary
by MITRE • 09/13/2022
Missing Custom Error Page in GitHub repository ikus060/rdiffweb prior to 2.4.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3175 represents a critical security oversight in the rdiffweb repository management system developed by ikus060. This issue manifests as the absence of custom error handling mechanisms within the web application framework, creating a significant exposure that can be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and system resources. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.4.2, indicating that users operating on older releases remain at substantial risk without proper mitigation measures in place.
The technical flaw stems from the application's failure to implement proper error page handling for various system exceptions and user input validation failures. When the application encounters unexpected conditions such as invalid user credentials, malformed requests, or internal system errors, it defaults to displaying generic error messages that may inadvertently reveal sensitive system information including file paths, database structures, or internal application architecture details. This behavior directly violates fundamental security principles and provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses improper error handling that can lead to information disclosure, and represents a classic example of poor input validation and error management practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to repository contents. Attackers can exploit the missing custom error pages to perform reconnaissance activities that would otherwise be difficult or impossible with standard error handling mechanisms in place. When users encounter authentication failures or system errors, the application's default behavior may expose internal system details that can be used to craft targeted attacks against the underlying infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on rdiffweb for version control and backup management, where repository contents may contain sensitive corporate data, intellectual property, or confidential information. The exposure creates opportunities for attackers to map application functionality, identify potential attack vectors, and ultimately escalate privileges or access restricted resources through information gathering facilitated by the lack of proper error handling.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-3175 require immediate implementation of comprehensive error handling mechanisms within the rdiffweb application framework. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to version 2.4.2 or later, which includes the necessary fixes to address the missing custom error page implementation. System administrators must ensure that all error conditions are properly handled with generic, non-informative error messages that do not reveal system internals to unauthorized users. Security teams should implement logging mechanisms that capture error conditions without exposing sensitive information in user-facing interfaces. The implementation should follow established security frameworks and best practices for error handling as outlined in various security standards including those referenced in the ATT&CK framework for application security. Additional defensive measures include implementing proper input validation, sanitizing all user inputs, and establishing robust monitoring systems to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that error handling mechanisms function as intended and that no additional vulnerabilities exist within the application's error processing pathways.