CVE-2022-50682 in Xperience
Summary
by MITRE • 12/18/2025
A CRLF injection vulnerability in Kentico Xperience allows attackers to manipulate URL query string redirects via improper encoding in the routing engine. This could enable header injection and potentially facilitate further web application attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
The CVE-2022-50682 vulnerability represents a critical CRLF injection flaw within the Kentico Xperience content management platform that fundamentally compromises the application's URL routing mechanism. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and improper encoding practices within the routing engine, specifically when processing URL query string parameters that control redirect functionality. The flaw exists at the intersection of web application security and HTTP protocol handling, where attacker-controlled input flows directly into the redirect processing pipeline without proper sanitization. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability manifests when the application fails to adequately escape or encode special characters in query parameters, particularly carriage return and line feed sequences that are essential components of HTTP headers. This weakness creates an exploitable condition where malicious actors can inject arbitrary HTTP headers into the response, effectively bypassing normal security controls and potentially manipulating application behavior through header-based attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established pattern within the realm of web application security, aligning with CWE-113 which defines improper neutralization of CRLF sequences in HTTP headers as a fundamental weakness. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious query parameters containing CRLF sequences such as %0d%0a or \r\n that get processed by the routing engine without proper encoding. When these sequences are embedded in redirect URLs, they can cause the application to inject additional HTTP headers into the response, potentially enabling attacks such as cache poisoning, cross-site scripting through header manipulation, or more sophisticated server-side request forgery scenarios. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's redirect functionality where user input controls destination URLs, making it particularly dangerous in contexts where the application serves as a proxy or gateway for external redirects. The routing engine's failure to properly sanitize input at the point of processing creates a persistent attack vector that can be leveraged across multiple redirect scenarios within the Kentico platform's architecture.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-50682 extends beyond simple header injection, creating potential pathways for more sophisticated attack chains that align with various techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1566 category for Phishing and T1071 for Application Layer Protocol. Organizations utilizing Kentico Xperience may experience compromised user sessions, unauthorized access to restricted resources, or potential data exfiltration through manipulated redirect chains that could be used to establish beaconing or command and control communications. The vulnerability's presence in the routing engine means that even legitimate users who encounter manipulated redirects could inadvertently trigger header injection attacks, making the exploitation surface particularly broad. Additionally, the flaw could enable attackers to bypass security controls such as content security policies or referer validation mechanisms that depend on proper HTTP header handling. The impact is particularly severe in environments where Kentico Xperience serves as a central hub for user authentication flows or API integrations, as the injected headers could be leveraged to manipulate authentication tokens or session management behaviors. This vulnerability also creates potential for cache poisoning attacks where maliciously crafted headers could be cached and subsequently served to other users, amplifying the attack scope and impact across the entire user base.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-50682 must address the root cause through comprehensive input validation and encoding practices that align with OWASP Secure Coding practices and the principles outlined in the CWE-113 remediation guidelines. Organizations should implement strict input sanitization at the routing engine level, ensuring that all query string parameters containing redirect destinations undergo proper encoding before being processed by the application's redirect mechanism. The recommended approach includes implementing a whitelist-based validation system that only accepts known-safe characters and sequences in URL parameters, combined with proper HTTP header encoding techniques that prevent CRLF sequences from being interpreted as protocol elements. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls with specialized rules to detect and block suspicious CRLF patterns in URL parameters, particularly in redirect contexts. Regular security assessments should include testing for similar injection vulnerabilities in the application's routing and URL processing components, as this flaw demonstrates the importance of proper input handling throughout the entire application stack. Organizations must also establish monitoring protocols to detect anomalous redirect behavior or header injection attempts that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability, ensuring that security operations teams can respond quickly to potential attacks that leverage this weakness in the Kentico Xperience platform's architecture.