The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-26049 is a low-severity issue within Eclipse Jetty, a widely used Java-based web server and servlet engine. This vulnerability allows for nonstandard cookie parsing, which can lead to cookie smuggling attacks. Specifically, Jetty's handling of cookie values that begin with a double quote allows an attacker to manipulate cookie parsing in a way that combines multiple cookies into a single value.
The potential security implications are significant: if an attacker successfully smuggles sensitive cookies like a JSESSIONID into another cookie's value, they can bypass security policies and exfiltrate sensitive information. This issue is particularly concerning in environments where intermediaries enforce cookie policies, as these can be circumvented without detection by the Jetty server.
Jetty versions prior to 9.4.51, 10.0.14, 11.0.14, and the beta version 12.0.0 are affected. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to these versions to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability.
As this vulnerability has been classified with a CVSS score of 2.4, it falls under the low severity category. However, organizations should still prioritize patching immediately due to the potential for cookie-based attacks in their environments.
The urgency for defenders to address this vulnerability cannot be overstated, as unpatched systems may expose sensitive information to attackers.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of the vulnerability states that it involves nonstandard cookie parsing in Jetty. When Jetty encounters a cookie value that starts with a double quote, it continues to read until it finds a closing quote, ignoring any semicolons in between. This can lead to unintended behavior and security risks, especially if sensitive cookies are rendered on the page.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability varies depending on the source. According to the NVD, it has a CVSS score of 5.3, categorized as medium severity, while another scoring provides a lower score of 2.4, indicating low severity.
Affected versions include all versions of Jetty prior to 9.4.51, 10.0.14, 11.0.14, and 12.0.0.beta0. The CWE classification associated with this vulnerability is CWE-200, which pertains to information exposure.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in Jetty's cookie parsing logic. The attack vector is network-based, requiring that the attacker has the ability to send crafted HTTP requests to the Jetty server. The complexity of the attack is classified as low, as it does not require advanced skills to exploit.
The privileges required are high, as the attacker must have access to send requests that can manipulate cookie values. User interaction is required to a degree, as the crafted request may need to be executed by the victim's browser.
In terms of confidentiality impact, the attack can lead to low-level exposure of sensitive cookie data, while integrity and availability impacts are classified as none.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Organizations using affected versions of Jetty face a real risk of cookie-based attacks that could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information. The blast radius of this vulnerability is limited to applications relying on Jetty for cookie management and those that may expose sensitive cookie data through rendered responses.
Given the low CVSS score, the urgency can be classified as moderate; however, organizations should still prioritize addressing this vulnerability as part of their security posture.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | Yes |
Public PoC | Yes |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected versions of Jetty include all versions prior to 9.4.51, 10.0.14, 11.0.14, and 12.0.0.beta0. Additionally, Debian Linux versions 10.0, 11.0, and 12.0 are also impacted. Users are encouraged to upgrade to the patched versions to eliminate the vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize patching their installations of Jetty to versions 9.4.51, 10.0.14, 11.0.14, or the beta version 12.0.0. Users should refer to the penetration testing services to validate remediation efforts.
If immediate patching is not feasible, organizations should implement network controls to limit access to Jetty servers and monitor for unusual cookie behaviors or traffic patterns indicative of exploitation attempts.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor logs for any abnormal cookie values or parsing errors. Behavioral anomalies in user sessions that involve cookie manipulation should also be investigated.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2023-26049 lies in its demonstration of how cookie parsing logic can lead to exploitable vulnerabilities. Security teams should learn from this incident to ensure their cookie handling mechanisms are robust against similar attacks.
This vulnerability reflects ongoing trends in web application security, where attackers increasingly seek to exploit misconfigurations and oversights in cookie management.
Organizations are encouraged to adopt a proactive stance towards security best practices, including regular security assessments and the implementation of comprehensive cookie policies that enforce strict parsing rules.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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