CVE-2024-37658 in gnuboard5
Summary
by MITRE • 07/07/2025
An open redirect vulnerability in gnuboard5 v.5.5.16 allows a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information via the bbs/member_confirm.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37658 represents a critical open redirect flaw within gnuboard5 version 5.5.16, specifically affecting the bbs/member_confirm.php component. This issue arises from insufficient validation of redirect parameters, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the application's redirection logic. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-601 as an Open Redirect, which occurs when an application redirects users to external domains without proper validation of the target URL. The affected member_confirm.php script likely processes user authentication or confirmation workflows where redirect parameters are used to guide users after successful operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs that contain crafted redirect targets, potentially leading to phishing attacks or information disclosure scenarios. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application level and can be leveraged to manipulate user navigation in ways that bypass normal security controls. This open redirect vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which involves phishing through email, where attackers can use the redirect functionality to direct users to malicious sites that appear legitimate. The impact extends beyond simple redirection as it can facilitate credential theft, data exfiltration, or serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within the target environment. The vulnerability exists due to inadequate input sanitization and validation within the redirect mechanism, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary URLs that bypass the application's intended navigation flow.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious URLs that contain redirect parameters pointing to attacker-controlled domains. When users access these manipulated URLs, the application processes the redirect without proper validation, causing users to be automatically redirected to malicious sites. This behavior occurs because the application fails to implement proper URL validation or domain whitelisting mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in contexts where users trust the application's interface, as the redirect may appear legitimate to end users. Attackers can leverage this weakness to create convincing phishing campaigns where the initial redirect appears to come from a trusted source within the application. The flaw demonstrates a lack of proper security controls in the application's session management and user navigation logic. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied input within the redirect parameter processing, which violates fundamental security principles of input validation and output encoding. The impact is amplified by the fact that this vulnerability affects the member confirmation process, which typically involves sensitive user authentication flows where attackers could potentially harvest credentials or session information.
Organizations utilizing gnuboard5 v.5.5.16 must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves implementing strict input validation for all redirect parameters, ensuring that only URLs from trusted domains are accepted. This can be achieved through domain whitelisting or implementing a comprehensive URL validation mechanism that checks the target URL against a predefined list of acceptable domains. Additionally, developers should implement proper URL encoding and decoding mechanisms to prevent attackers from injecting malicious content into redirect parameters. The application should also log all redirect attempts for security monitoring purposes, enabling administrators to detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious redirect patterns, providing an additional layer of protection. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase. The mitigation strategy should also include user education to help identify potential phishing attempts that may exploit this vulnerability. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability may impact organizations that must adhere to standards such as iso/iec 27001 or pci dss, as it represents a failure to implement proper input validation controls. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper security controls during the development lifecycle to prevent such issues from reaching production environments. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security testing tools that can detect similar redirect vulnerabilities in their applications. The remediation process must include thorough testing to ensure that the implemented fixes do not break legitimate functionality while effectively blocking malicious redirect attempts.