CVE-2022-4080 in Login History Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/20/2022
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in Opal Login History Plugin. This affects an unknown part of the component HTTP Header Handler. The manipulation of the argument X-Forwarded-For leads to improper output neutralization for logs. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-214047.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2026
The vulnerability identified in the Opal Login History Plugin represents a critical security flaw that resides within the HTTP Header Handler component, specifically targeting the X-Forwarded-For header processing mechanism. This issue falls under the category of improper output neutralization for logs, a weakness that can have severe implications for system security and audit trails. The X-Forwarded-For header is commonly used in web applications to identify the original IP address of a client connecting through a proxy or load balancer, making it a crucial element in network traffic analysis and security monitoring.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin fails to properly sanitize or neutralize user-supplied data from the X-Forwarded-For header before logging this information. This improper handling creates a potential log injection vulnerability that allows attackers to manipulate log entries by injecting malicious content into the header value. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the logging mechanism itself, potentially enabling attackers to corrupt audit trails, inject false entries, or even execute log-based attacks that could compromise the integrity of security monitoring systems. The attack can be initiated remotely without requiring any special privileges or local access to the system, making it highly exploitable in various network environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple log manipulation, as it can significantly compromise the reliability of security monitoring and incident response capabilities. When attackers successfully exploit this weakness, they can inject malicious data into system logs that may be used for forensic analysis, compliance auditing, or security event correlation. This can lead to false security alerts, hinder legitimate security investigations, and potentially allow attackers to hide their activities within legitimate-looking log entries. The public disclosure of this exploit (VDB-214047) increases the risk exposure as threat actors can readily leverage this vulnerability without requiring advanced technical knowledge or specialized tools. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-117, which specifically addresses improper output neutralization for logs, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should prevent user-controllable data from being directly incorporated into log output without proper sanitization.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the HTTP Header Handler component. Security teams should ensure that all user-supplied data from headers like X-Forwarded-For is properly sanitized before being processed or logged, utilizing techniques such as regular expression filtering, character escaping, or dedicated sanitization libraries. The implementation of proper logging frameworks that can handle potentially malicious input without compromising log integrity represents a fundamental security control that should be prioritized. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-level controls such as intrusion detection systems that can monitor for suspicious header patterns and log manipulation attempts. Regular security assessments and code reviews should specifically target input handling mechanisms within web applications, particularly focusing on HTTP headers that may be manipulated by external parties. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following ATT&CK framework principles related to command and control, specifically the techniques involving log injection and data manipulation that can undermine security monitoring effectiveness. Organizations should also consider implementing log integrity monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on anomalous log patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, ensuring that security monitoring systems themselves remain trustworthy and reliable for incident response activities.