Vignette Story Server sensitive information disclosure (a040703-1)

From: @stake Advisories (@stake)
Date: Mon Apr 07 2003 - 09:13:24 PDT

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                                  @stake, Inc.
                                www.atstake.com
                               Security Advisory
    
    
    Advisory Name: Vignette Story Server sensitive information
                   disclosure
     Release Date: 04/07/2003
      Application: Vignette Story Server v4.1, 6
         Platform: Windows / Unix
         Severity: A remote user can extract session information,
                   server side code and other sensitive information
                   anonymously
           Author: Ollie Whitehouse (ollieat_private)
    Contributions: Florian Walther (scusiat_private>)
                   Simon Kilvington (si.kayat_private)
    Vendor Status: Vendor notified, Patch available
    CVE Candidate: CAN-2002-0385
        Reference: www.atstake.com/research/advisories/2003/a040703-1.txt
    
    
    Overview:
    
           Vignette's Story Server is a web interface to Vignette's
    content management suite of applications that operates on a variety
    of platforms and web server technologies.
    
    Vignette Story Server allows the publication of both static and
    dynamic content. The dynamic pages are created using a TCL[1]
    Interpreter. There exists vulnerability within the TCL interpreter
    used that allows 'dumping' of the stack of the current running TCL
    process when generating dynamic pages.
    
    This vulnerability results in an attacker being able to extract
    information about other users sessions, server side code and
    other sensitive information.
    
    This vulnerability has been verified on Vignette Story Server v4.1
    and v6.0.
    
    
    Description:
    
            Vignette supports a vast range of dynamic content via it's
    content management system. It allows the use of TCL code to interact
    with databases, generate cookies, and wide range of other functions.
    
    When a request is made to a dynamic page which accepts user input
    there exists an issue when a large number of " and > characters are
    input to the TCL interpreter. The effect is that the TCL interpreter
    will crash returning to the user the data that was on the stack at
    the current time.
    
    @stake's testing observed that the most likely way to
    generate the crash is a with a combination of around 214 " and >
    characters. Contained below is an example URL that if populated
    would return a large amount of data.
    
    https://www.example.co.uk/securelogin/1,2345,A,00.html?Errmessage
    ="x214>x214   [line wrapped]
    
    If above URL is submitted when there is a large number of users
    performing dynamic functions within the site (i.e. logging in or
    performing a search) then a large amount of sensitive TCL code will
    be available upon the stack and send to the attacker.
    
    It should be noted that this vulnerability can be exploited
    continuously without any effect on the availability of the site in
    question, thus allowing an attacker to effectively wait until they
    have enough data to achieve their end goal.
    
    
    Timeline*:
    
    Jan. 28, 2003 Email contact at Vignette on 28th with details of
                  vulnerability. Recieve questions regarding
                  vulnerability and respond accordingly.
    
    February 2003 Vignette confirms they have not been able to reproduce
                  @stake calls Vignette contact to explain vulnerability,
                  understand the product is not affected in it's latest
                  incarnation due to it being Java rather than TCL.
                  Contact says they would like affected customers to
                  upgrade. @stake offers via voice and e-mail to
                  reproduce issue if Vignette provide Internet accessible
                  host. @stake conducts another phone call with Vignette
                  to explain the issue and discuss possible alternatives
                  and solutions @stake has been suggesting to clients.
    
    March 2003    @stake contact Vignette requesting an update.
                  Vignette states that questions regarding this issue
                  should be submitted by affected customers via their
                  Vignette support contract.
    
    April 4, 2002 Vignette responds that the issue has been fixed and
                  supplies patch information.
    
    * It should be noted that @stake customers were effected by this
      issue and our first priority was to not put them at increased risk.
    
    
    Vendor Response:
    
    The problem is fixed and a patch is available.  Any Vignette customer
    who has a security concern with their Vignette deployment should
    contact Vignette Technical Support through normal channels.  Those
    channels include <mailto:supportat_private> supportat_private,
    contacting Technical Support in the Americas at 1 888 846 6907,
    Europe, Middle East and Africa 44(0)1628772299 and Asia Pacific
    Australia 1 800 110 118 Asia Pacific New Zealand, Singapore, Hong
    Kong, Taiwan & China: +800 110 11811 Asia Pacific All Others
    61.2.9455.5099.  Additionally, customers have the following resources
    available at
    <http://support.vignette.com/VOLSS/KB/View/1,,5360,00.html>
    http://support.vignette.com/VOLSS/KB/View/1,,5360,00.html
    
    
    @stake Recommendations:
    
    If you are you have a dynamic application that receives user input
    you should install the patch.
    
    Alternatively, employ string length checks upon user submitted
    data. @stake has discovered requests under about 100 bytes rarely
    yield any sensitive information.
    
    
    Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Information:
    
    The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) project has
    assigned the following names to these issues.  These are candidates
    for inclusion in the CVE list (http://cve.mitre.org), which
    standardizes names for security problems.
    
    CAN-2002-0385 Story Server sensitive information disclosure
    
    
    @stake Vulnerability Reporting Policy:
    http://www.atstake.com/research/policy/
    
    @stake Advisory Archive:
    http://www.atstake.com/research/advisories/
    
    PGP Key:
    http://www.atstake.com/research/pgp_key.asc
    
    
    @stake is currently seeking application security experts to fill
    several consulting positions.  Applicants should have strong
    application development skills and be able to perform application
    security design reviews, code reviews, and application penetration
    testing.  Please send resumes to jobsat_private
    
    
    Copyright 2003 @stake, Inc. All rights reserved.
    
    
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