CVE-2022-4720 in rdiffweb
Summary
by MITRE • 12/27/2022
Open Redirect in GitHub repository ikus060/rdiffweb prior to 2.5.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4720 represents an open redirect flaw discovered in the rdiffweb repository management system developed by ikus060. This issue affects versions prior to 2.5.5 and constitutes a significant security weakness that could be exploited by malicious actors to deceive users into navigating to unintended destinations. The vulnerability manifests within the application's handling of URL redirection mechanisms, where user-supplied input is not properly validated or sanitized before being used to construct redirect URLs. This allows attackers to craft malicious links that appear legitimate but redirect users to external domains controlled by the attacker.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the application's redirect functionality. When users interact with the rdiffweb system, particularly during authentication flows or when accessing certain administrative features, the application processes redirect parameters that should be strictly validated. The flaw lies in the absence of proper sanitization checks that would ensure redirect URLs conform to expected patterns and originate from trusted sources. This weakness enables attackers to manipulate the redirect behavior by injecting malicious URLs into parameters that are subsequently processed without sufficient verification. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-601, which specifically addresses open redirect vulnerabilities where applications redirect users to untrusted websites, potentially facilitating phishing attacks or other social engineering exploits.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-4720 extends beyond simple redirection functionality and creates substantial risk for organizations utilizing the affected rdiffweb versions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to craft deceptive links that appear to originate from legitimate rdiffweb domains, thereby bypassing user security awareness and trust mechanisms. When users click on these maliciously crafted links, they may be redirected to phishing sites designed to capture credentials or other sensitive information, or to malicious download sites that could compromise their systems. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may trust the rdiffweb application and its associated domains, making them more susceptible to successful social engineering attacks. This type of vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers phishing campaigns using spearphishing attachments, as the open redirect can serve as an initial vector for more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-4720 focus on implementing proper input validation and redirect URL sanitization within the affected application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to rdiffweb version 2.5.5 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional defensive measures such as validating redirect URLs against a whitelist of trusted domains, implementing strict URL parsing mechanisms, and ensuring that any redirect parameters are properly sanitized before being processed. The application should be configured to only allow redirects to URLs that are explicitly defined as safe within the application's configuration. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual redirect patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious redirect parameters, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's attack surface.