CVE-2024-11053 is a low-severity vulnerability affecting Haxx Curl. This vulnerability allows curl to potentially leak credentials when users are directed to follow HTTP redirects while using a `.netrc` file for authentication. The severity is rated at a CVSS score of 3.4, indicating a low risk to organizations, yet it is essential to address this vulnerability promptly.
Risk to organizations includes the potential exposure of sensitive credentials, specifically when the netrc file contains entries that match the target hostname of a redirect. If these entries are incomplete, omitting passwords or both login and password, this flaw may lead to unintended credential sharing with unauthorized hosts.
Currently, there are no known exploits or public proof of concepts for this vulnerability, indicating that exploitation is unlikely at this stage. However, organizations should prioritize patching immediately to mitigate any potential risks.
The vulnerability was published on December 11, 2024. As it stands, the urgency for defenders is to address it in their priority patch cycle to prevent any future security lapses.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of CVE-2024-11053 highlights that when curl is instructed to use a `.netrc` file for credentials and follow HTTP redirects, it could leak the password for the initial host to the redirected host under certain circumstances. This leak occurs when the netrc file has an entry corresponding to the redirect target hostname, but the entry lacks a password or is entirely missing both login and password.
The vulnerability affects several versions of Haxx Curl and associated products. The CVSS score of 3.4 categorizes this vulnerability as low severity, with a high attack complexity, requiring user interaction, and a low confidentiality impact.
The affected products include curl, NetApp's ONTAP, and various firmware versions. Organizations using these components should review their configurations and update to the latest versions to eliminate the risk.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2024-11053 stems from the handling of credentials stored in the `.netrc` file in conjunction with HTTP redirects. The attack vector is primarily network-based due to the nature of HTTP communications. The attack complexity is rated as high, indicating that successful exploitation requires a set of specific conditions to be met by the user.
No privileges are required for this vulnerability, making it accessible to any user who can initiate a curl command that matches the described conditions. User interaction is required, as the user must manually execute the command that triggers the vulnerability.
In terms of impacts, the confidentiality impact is classified as low since the leaked credentials could be used to access other services but do not directly compromise the integrity or availability of the affected systems.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Organizations utilizing Haxx Curl and related components should consider the potential risks involved with CVE-2024-11053. The risk primarily arises from the possibility of credential leakage, which can lead to unauthorized access if adversaries can intercept the credentials. Given that this vulnerability has a low severity rating, the overall deployment risk remains manageable.
However, the vulnerability's presence signifies a need for increased awareness among security teams regarding the handling of credentials in environments that leverage curl for HTTP requests. The blast radius potential for organizations depends heavily on the specific configurations and usage patterns of curl within their infrastructure.
Organizations should schedule remediation to address this vulnerability, particularly by reviewing and updating related components and configurations. Maintaining a proactive approach to security patches and updates will ensure that such vulnerabilities do not pose an ongoing risk.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
CVE-2024-11053 affects multiple products including curl, NetApp's ONTAP, and various firmware versions. If specific version information is not available, organizations should consider all versions prior to vendor patch as potentially vulnerable.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize updating curl and related components to the latest versions to mitigate this vulnerability. Specific patches are available from Haxx and NetApp. If an immediate update cannot be applied, consider implementing configuration changes to limit the use of `.netrc` files for sensitive operations.
For enhanced security, organizations may also implement network controls to monitor and restrict unauthorized access attempts. Regular audits of configurations and the use of logging mechanisms can further help in identifying potential threats.
Penetration testing can also be a valuable tool to validate the effectiveness of the applied patches and configurations.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of CVE-2024-11053, organizations should monitor logs for any unusual HTTP requests, particularly those that involve redirects and the use of `.netrc` files. Behavioral anomalies in the interaction with curl commands should also be investigated.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2024-11053 lies in its demonstration of how credential handling vulnerabilities can emerge in widely-used tools like curl. It reflects a broader trend where security considerations must adapt to evolving usage patterns of software in a complex network environment.
Security teams should be vigilant and actively monitor for similar patterns of vulnerabilities that could arise in other tools. Implementing a robust penetration testing methodology can help in identifying such weaknesses before they can be exploited.
In conclusion, organizations must remain proactive in addressing vulnerabilities such as CVE-2024-11053. Regular updates, configuration reviews, and maintaining a strong security posture will be crucial in safeguarding against potential threats.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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