CVE-2024-51981 in Printer
Summary
by MITRE • 06/25/2025
An unauthenticated attacker may perform a blind server side request forgery (SSRF), due to a CLRF injection issue that can be leveraged to perform HTTP request smuggling. This SSRF leverages the WS-Addressing feature used during a WS-Eventing subscription SOAP operation. The attacker can control all the HTTP data sent in the SSRF connection, but the attacker can not receive any data back from this connection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw that exploits a CLRF injection weakness within web services infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically targets the WS-Addressing feature during WS-Eventing subscription SOAP operations, creating an avenue for attackers to manipulate HTTP request flows. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to initiate blind SSRF attacks by injecting carriage return line feed sequences that disrupt normal HTTP processing. This particular vulnerability falls under CWE-918 which classifies server-side request forgery issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploiting vulnerabilities in web services. The attack vector leverages the WS-Eventing protocol which is commonly used for event notification mechanisms in web services, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such protocols are prevalent.
The technical exploitation occurs through the manipulation of HTTP headers during SOAP operations, where the CLRF injection enables attackers to inject malicious HTTP requests into the service's outbound communication channels. During WS-Eventing subscriptions, the web service processes the WS-Addressing headers which contain endpoint references that can be manipulated to redirect outbound requests to attacker-controlled systems. The vulnerability's blind nature means that while attackers can initiate requests to arbitrary endpoints, they cannot receive responses, limiting the direct data exfiltration capabilities but still enabling reconnaissance and further attack vectors. The attacker controls all HTTP data sent in the SSRF connection including headers, method types, and target endpoints, which can be used to probe internal networks or target vulnerable internal services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure as it enables attackers to perform HTTP request smuggling operations that can bypass security controls and potentially lead to more sophisticated attacks. The blind SSRF nature allows for network reconnaissance activities such as port scanning of internal systems that would normally be protected by firewalls or network segmentation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to map internal network topology, identify vulnerable internal services, and potentially establish persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability affects systems that implement WS-Eventing protocols and rely on WS-Addressing for service communication, which includes many enterprise web services, application servers, and middleware solutions. This creates a significant risk in environments where internal services are not properly isolated from external-facing web services.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict input validation and sanitization of WS-Addressing headers during SOAP operations, particularly in WS-Eventing subscription scenarios. Organizations should enforce network segmentation and implement proper firewall rules to restrict outbound connections from web services to internal systems. The implementation of HTTP header validation mechanisms and the removal or restriction of unnecessary WS-Addressing functionality can significantly reduce the attack surface. Additionally, monitoring and logging of outbound HTTP requests from web services can help detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Security controls should be implemented to prevent the injection of CLRF sequences in HTTP headers and to validate all endpoint references in WS-Addressing headers against approved domains or IP ranges. Regular security assessments should include testing for similar injection vulnerabilities in web service implementations and adherence to secure coding practices for handling HTTP headers and web service communications.