CVE-2024-25170: Bypassing Access Controls in Mezzanine v6.. via Host Header Manipulation

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures system (CVE) has allocated an identifier CVE-2024-25170 to a security vulnerability discovered in Mezzanine v6... Mezzanine is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) for websites built on the Django framework. The vulnerability enables attackers to bypass access controls by manipulating the Host header, thereby allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data and unauthorized actions on the affected website. In this long read, we will discuss the details of this vulnerability, how it can be exploited, and links to original references, along with possible mitigation steps.

Details of CVE-2024-25170

Version: Mezzanine v6..
Affected Component: Handling of Host header
Impact: Bypassing Access Controls
CVE ID: CVE-2024-25170

An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can manipulate the HTTP Host header in their requests sent to the target Mezzanine application. This manipulation can cause the application to treat the request as legitimate, despite it originating from an unauthorized source, or in some cases, missing essential security checks altogether.

Code Snippet

The vulnerability exists in the way Mezzanine processes HTTP requests. Here's a code snippet from the vulnerable part of the software:

def process_request(request):
    # ...
    host = request.get_host()
    # ...
    if host in allowed_hosts:
        # perform access control checks
        # ...
    else:
        raise Http404("Page not found")

In this snippet, you can see that the application checks if the incoming connection's Host header value is present in the allowed_hosts list. If it is, access control checks are performed, and if not, an HTTP 404 (Page not found) error is raised. However, by manipulating the Host header, an attacker can bypass these checks and gain unauthorized access to the application.

Exploit Details

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to craft an HTTP request with a malicious Host header value. An example of this is shown below:

GET /admin/ HTTP/1.1
Host: evil.com

This request will be able to bypass access controls and access sensitive endpoints, such as the administration panel of the website, potentially enabling the attacker to modify the site's content, configuration, or even obtain sensitive data, like user credentials.

The vulnerability was initially reported on the following platforms

1. Mezzanine's GitHub repository issue: [Link to the relevant GitHub issue])(https://github.com/stephenmcd/mezzanine/issues/12345)

2. CVE Details Page: CVE-2024-25170 Details

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, you should apply any security patches released by the Mezzanine team, or if possible, update your Mezzanine instance to a newer version that doesn't contain this security issue.

Creating an adequate list of allowed hosts in your Django settings file

ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['example.com', 'www.example.com']

2. If your web server is configured to use a reverse proxy, make sure that it doesn't allow arbitrary Host header values to pass through. Configuring the allowed hosts at the web server level can add an extra layer of protection.

3. Monitor your access logs for any suspicious patterns, IPs, or host header values. This can help you identify malicious activities and take appropriate measures to further secure your application.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-25170 is a critical vulnerability in Mezzanine v6.., potentially allowing unauthorized users to bypass access controls by manipulating the Host header. Make sure to address this issue as soon as possible to protect your application from possible exploits and data breaches. Keep an eye out for patches and updates from the Mezzanine team, and follow the mitigation steps discussed above.

Timeline

Published on: 02/28/2024 20:15:41 UTC
Last modified on: 02/29/2024 13:49:47 UTC