Title: Microsoft Internet Explorer XmlHttpRequest Parameter Validation Weakness
Severity: MODERATE
Description:
XmlHttpRequest object is a JavaScript object that allows client-side JavaScript code to send raw HTTP requests to the computer originating the JavaScript code and to access the response's body in raw form.
Microsoft Internet Explorer is prone to a weakness that permits the injection of arbitrary HTTP requests due to improper verification of parameters passed to XmlHttpRequest.
Specifically, the issue affects the 'method' parameter of the 'open()' function in the 'Microsoft.XMLHTTP' ActiveX control. User-supplied input is not sanitized before being passed to an HTTP request. This makes it possible to add illegal and malformed headers to an XMLHttpRequest.
An attacker may craft a website that instantiates the affected control and forces the browser to request a site on the same host (or another host in case a forwarding proxy is employed). The attacker would then intercept the response and steal sensitive data.
This issue is very circumstantial, since the attacker does not have any control over whether or not a forwarding proxy is used. Also, the HTTP request must contain Horizontal Tabs (ASCII 0x09) instead of spaces. Since Horizontal Tabs are not allowed by the HTTP/1.1 RFC, only some proxy servers may be affected.
An attacker could also exploit this issue in a virtual hosting scenario by establishing a site in a shared hosting environment. This would not require the presence of a forwarding proxy.
A successful attack may have various consequences facilitating HTTP request smuggling, man-in-the-middle attacks, and information disclosure.
Affected Products:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP2 - do not use
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition Itanium
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition Itanium
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Web Edition
- Microsoft Windows XP Home
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
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