CVE-2024-31991 in Mealie
Summary
by MITRE • 04/20/2024
Mealie is a self hosted recipe manager and meal planner. Prior to 1.4.0, the safe_scrape_html function utilizes a user-controlled URL to issue a request to a remote server. Based on the content of the response, it will either parse the content or disregard it. This function, nor those that call it, add any restrictions on the URL that can be provided, nor is it restricted to being an FQDN (i.e., an IP address can be provided). As this function’s return will be handled differently by its caller depending on the response, it is possible for an attacker to use this functionality to positively identify HTTP(s) servers on the local network with any IP/port combination. This issue can result in any authenticated user being able to map HTTP servers on a local network that the Mealie service has access to. Note that by default any user can create an account on a Mealie server, and that the default [email protected] user is available with its hard-coded password. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.4.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2024
The CVE-2024-31991 vulnerability affects Mealie, a self-hosted recipe management and meal planning application, presenting a significant information disclosure risk through improper input validation in its HTML scraping functionality. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 1.4.0 and stems from the safe_scrape_html function which accepts user-controlled URLs without adequate restrictions or validation. The function's design permits arbitrary URL inputs including IP addresses rather than restricting to fully qualified domain names, creating a pathway for malicious actors to enumerate services within the local network. The vulnerability's technical flaw resides in the lack of input sanitization and validation mechanisms that would normally prevent attackers from specifying arbitrary network endpoints, particularly those within the local network that the Mealie service can access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to enable network reconnaissance capabilities for authenticated users. Since Mealie allows any user to create an account by default and includes a hard-coded administrative account with the username [email protected] and password changeme, the attack surface is significantly broadened. An attacker with minimal privileges can leverage this functionality to map HTTP servers on the local network by providing different IP addresses and ports to the vulnerable function. The system's response handling logic, which processes content differently based on HTTP response characteristics, provides the attacker with positive identification of accessible services. This behavior aligns with attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under reconnaissance techniques, specifically targeting network service enumeration and discovery.
The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and access control, with the CWE-20 standard describing the weakness as "Improper Input Validation" where the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user-provided data. The lack of URL restriction validation creates a direct path for attackers to bypass normal network access controls and discover internal services that would otherwise be hidden from external view. The default configuration of allowing open registration combined with the hard-coded credentials creates an ideal environment for exploitation, as attackers need no prior authentication to begin reconnaissance activities. The fix implemented in version 1.4.0 addresses the core issue by adding proper URL validation and restricting input to prevent arbitrary network endpoint specification, thereby closing the information disclosure channel that enabled local network mapping. This remediation approach aligns with secure coding practices that emphasize input validation and principle of least privilege in application design.