CVE-2023-4965 in phpipam
Summary
by MITRE • 09/14/2023
A vulnerability was found in phpipam 1.5.1. It has been rated as problematic. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the component Header Handler. The manipulation of the argument X-Forwarded-Host leads to open redirect. The attack may be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-239732.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4965 affects phpipam version 1.5.1 and represents a significant security flaw in the application's header handling mechanism. This issue manifests within the Header Handler component where improper validation of the X-Forwarded-Host HTTP header creates an exploitable condition that allows for open redirect attacks. The vulnerability has been classified as problematic due to its potential for remote exploitation and the fact that a public exploit has been disclosed, making it accessible to malicious actors who may leverage this weakness for various attack vectors.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation within the phpipam application's header processing logic. When the application receives an X-Forwarded-Host header containing a maliciously crafted value, it fails to properly sanitize or validate this input before using it in redirect operations. This allows an attacker to manipulate the header value to point to an external malicious domain, potentially redirecting users to phishing sites or other harmful destinations. The vulnerability specifically targets the header handler functionality, which is commonly used in web applications that operate behind reverse proxies or load balancers where the X-Forwarded-Host header is expected to contain the original host information. This weakness falls under CWE-601 which specifically addresses open redirect vulnerabilities, where applications fail to validate that redirect destinations are within expected boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks, as it can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within the broader threat landscape. Attackers can use this open redirect to facilitate phishing campaigns by redirecting users to malicious sites that appear to be legitimate phpipam interfaces or related services. The remote exploitability of this vulnerability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to carry out attacks, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose their phpipam installations to the internet. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics, specifically focusing on the use of malicious redirects to deceive users into visiting harmful websites.
Organizations utilizing phpipam version 1.5.1 should prioritize immediate remediation through official patches or updates provided by the phpipam development team. The mitigation strategy should include implementing proper input validation for all HTTP headers, particularly those that may be manipulated by external parties, and establishing strict sanitization routines for header values before they are processed or used in redirect operations. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the most effective approach remains the direct patching of the vulnerable codebase. Security teams should also implement monitoring for suspicious header values and redirect patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other components of their web infrastructure.