CVE-2024-29643: Host Header Injection Vulnerability in Croogo v.3.0.2

Overview

The cybersecurity landscape is ever-evolving, with new vulnerabilities discovered frequently. One such recently discovered vulnerability is CVE-2024-29643, affecting the popular Content Management System (CMS) Croogo v.3.0.2. This vulnerability is of significant importance due to its high severity score of 9.1, indicating a critical level of risk. It allows attackers to manipulate the host header via the feed.rss component, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-29643
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, Data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Croogo | v.3.0.2

How the Exploit Works

The exploit works by injecting a malicious host header into the HTTP request to the feed.rss component of the Croogo CMS. Since the CMS does not sufficiently validate or sanitize the host header, this allows an attacker to manipulate the server’s response, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited. Please note that this is a simplified representation and real exploit attempts may vary significantly:

GET /feed.rss HTTP/1.1
Host: malicious.com

In this example, the attacker sends an HTTP GET request for the feed.rss resource, but manipulates the host header to point to “malicious.com”. The server, failing to properly validate the host header, responds with information intended for “malicious.com”, potentially compromising the system or leaking data.

Mitigation Guidance

The best way to mitigate this vulnerability is by applying the patch provided by the vendor. If this is not immediately feasible, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used to inspect and filter out malicious host headers. However, this is only a temporary measure and it is strongly recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible to fully mitigate this vulnerability. Regular system and software updates are also crucial to maintain a robust cybersecurity posture.