CVE-2021-28164 affects Eclipse Jetty versions 9.4.37.v20210219 to 9.4.38.v20210224. This vulnerability allows requests with URIs containing %2e or %2e%2e segments to access protected resources within the WEB-INF directory. This could lead to unauthorized exposure of sensitive files, such as the web.xml configuration file, which may contain sensitive information about the web application's implementation.
The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.3, categorized as medium severity. This score indicates a moderate risk to organizations, particularly if sensitive information is disclosed. The vulnerability is exploitable over a network with low attack complexity and requires no privileges or user interaction, making it a significant concern for defenders.
Organizations using affected versions of Jetty should prioritize patching this vulnerability to mitigate the risks associated with unauthorized access to sensitive information. As of now, there is a known exploit available, and organizations must act swiftly to secure their deployments.
The urgency for remediation is medium, and organizations should address this in their priority patch cycle. Given the potential for sensitive information exposure, it’s imperative to assess the impact and implement necessary security measures.
Vulnerability Details
According to the official CVE description, the vulnerability allows requests with specific URI segments to access protected resources within the WEB-INF directory. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.3, indicating medium severity.
The affected product is Eclipse Jetty, with the vulnerability identified in versions 9.4.37.v20210219 to 9.4.38.v20210224. The issue was published on April 1, 2021.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2021-28164 lies in the default compliance mode of Jetty, which improperly allows access to sensitive files through crafted URI requests. The attack vector is network-based, requiring no privileges or user interaction, and the attack complexity is low.
The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, allowing attackers to access sensitive information, but it does not affect integrity or availability. This poses a risk to organizations that depend on Jetty for web application hosting.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Risk to organizations includes unauthorized access to sensitive application configuration files, which can lead to further attacks or exploitation of the application. The blast radius could extend to any application relying on the affected versions of Jetty, potentially impacting multiple users and clients.
Given that this vulnerability is not currently listed in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, it is critical to note that while there is no active exploitation confirmed, the existence of known exploits emphasizes the importance of prompt remediation.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | Yes |
Public PoC | Yes |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected versions encompass Eclipse Jetty 9.4.37.v20210219 and 9.4.38.v20210224. Organizations running these versions should upgrade to the latest patched release to mitigate risks.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should monitor their systems for vulnerable versions of Jetty and apply available patches immediately. The recommended action is to upgrade to a version that has addressed this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing access controls to sensitive directories can help mitigate the risks of unauthorized access.
For ongoing security, organizations can consider continuous security testing to regularly validate security configurations and patch effectiveness.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation attempts, organizations should monitor logs for unusual access patterns to the WEB-INF directory. Look for requests that contain encoded characters like %2e or %2e%2e, which may indicate an attempt to access protected resources.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2021-28164 highlights the importance of secure configuration in web applications. This vulnerability exemplifies how improper handling of URI segments can lead to sensitive data exposure.
Security teams should learn from this incident to strengthen their application security practices and conduct regular audits of their configurations. For further reading on security best practices, consider reviewing our guide on penetration testing methodology and our insights on vulnerability management programs to enhance your security posture.
Lastly, review our detailed report on cloud penetration testing for strategies to secure cloud environments.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
.webp)