CVE-2022-45582 in Horizon
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2023
Open Redirect vulnerability in Horizon Web Dashboard 19.4.0 thru 20.1.4 via the success_url parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2023
The CVE-2022-45582 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw discovered in the Horizon Web Dashboard component of OpenStack, specifically affecting versions 19.4.0 through 20.1.4. This vulnerability resides within the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the web interface, where the application fails to properly validate redirect URLs passed through the success_url parameter during user authentication flows. The flaw allows malicious actors to craft deceptive links that could redirect users to arbitrary external domains while maintaining the appearance of legitimate authentication pages, creating a significant security risk for cloud environments that rely on Horizon for administrative access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the Horizon dashboard's authentication handler. When users attempt to log in or complete authentication processes, the system accepts a success_url parameter that determines where users are redirected upon successful authentication. However, the application does not adequately verify whether this URL belongs to the same domain or is explicitly allowed, enabling attackers to inject malicious URLs that could lead to phishing attacks, credential theft, or other social engineering exploits. This weakness directly maps to CWE-601, which categorizes open redirect vulnerabilities as a common security flaw where applications redirect users to untrusted domains without proper validation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for phishing attacks through malicious redirects.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-45582 extends beyond simple user inconvenience, as it can facilitate sophisticated attack chains that compromise entire cloud infrastructures. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to create convincing phishing pages that mimic legitimate Horizon interfaces, potentially capturing user credentials or sensitive administrative information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Horizon serves as the primary administrative interface for OpenStack cloud deployments, as successful exploitation could grant attackers elevated privileges within the cloud infrastructure. Security teams face significant challenges in detecting such attacks since the redirects appear legitimate to users and may bypass traditional security monitoring mechanisms that do not specifically track redirect patterns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-45582 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Horizon versions, with organizations upgrading to versions 20.1.5 or later where the vulnerability has been resolved. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict URL validation policies that only permit redirects to whitelisted domains or subdomains, configuring proper security headers such as Content Security Policy to restrict redirect behavior, and conducting regular security audits of authentication flows. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual redirect patterns and user behavior anomalies that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation in web applications and serves as a reminder that authentication systems, which are often considered secure by design, can become attack vectors when proper validation controls are absent. Security teams should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication and privileged access management controls to reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, as the open redirect vulnerability alone may not directly compromise system integrity but can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks.