Exploited! Kerio Control’s HTTP Response Splitting Vulnerability (CVE-2024-52875)
IONIX is tracking CVE-2024-52875 and related vulnerabilities for Kerio Control: This post is based on ongoing security research – and will continue to be updated as we get additional information…
In this article
What is CVE-2024-52875 Kerio Control?
CVE-2024-52875 is an HTTP Response Splitting vulnerability in Kerio Control. This flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious input into HTTP response headers by introducing carriage return (\r) and line feed (\n) characters. Such manipulation can cause the server to send multiple HTTP responses instead of one, leading to various attacks, including:
Open Redirects: Redirecting users to malicious websites without their consent.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Injecting malicious scripts into the user’s browser.
Cache Poisoning: Storing malicious responses in the cache, affecting subsequent users.
The Impact of CVE-2024-52875
In the context of Kerio Control, this vulnerability can be exploited to achieve 1-click Remote Code Execution (RCE), granting attackers root access to the firewall. The severity of this issue cannot be overstated, as it compromises the very security infrastructure designed to protect organizational networks.
Exploiting the Vulnerability
An attacker can craft a malicious URL containing CRLF sequences and specific payloads. When a victim clicks on this URL, the server processes the injected CRLF sequences, causing it to interpret subsequent data as a new HTTP response. This can lead to:
- Open Redirects: Redirecting the victim to a malicious site.
- Reflected XSS: Executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim’s browser.
In advanced scenarios, this vulnerability can be leveraged to achieve Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the affected Kerio Control systems.
Recommended Mitigation steps:
To address this issue, we recommend the following immediate steps:
- Apply Vendor Patches: Monitor Kerio’s official channels for security updates addressing this issue and apply them promptly.
- Restrict Access: Limit access to the Kerio Control management interface to trusted networks and administrators.
- Input Validation: Implement strict input validation to prevent CRLF injection in HTTP headers.
- User Training: Educate users about the dangers of clicking on suspicious links, especially those received unexpectedly.
Am I Impacted by CVE-2024-52875?
IONIX is actively tracking this vulnerability. Our security research team has developed a full exploit simulation model based on known exploits. This allows us to assess which customers have impacted assets. IONIX customers can view updated information on their specific assets in the threat center of the IONIX portal.
IONIX customers will see updated information on their specific assets in the threat center of the IONIX portal.
