HTTP/1 Protocol Vulnerability in ruby-protocol-http1: Potential for Request Smuggling
Summary
UBUNTU-CVE-2023-38697: protocol-http1 provides a low-level implementation of the HTTP/1 protocol. Affects ruby-protocol-http1 versions 0.13.1-1 – 0.14.2-1. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The ruby-protocol-http1 package provides a low-level implementation of the HTTP/1 protocol, which is essential for web communication. It adheres to the specifications outlined in various RFCs, enabling applications to handle HTTP requests and responses efficiently. However, this package has been found to exhibit behaviors that deviate from the expected standards, leading to security vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from the improper handling of HTTP headers and chunked transfer encoding as defined in RFC 9112 Section 7.1. Specifically, the package accepts Content-Length header values with a '+' prefix, hexadecimal representations prefixed with '0x', and allows invisible characters in chunk extensions. These deviations can lead to desynchronization when requests are processed by multiple HTTP parsers, potentially resulting in HTTP request smuggling and bypassing of firewalls. The severity of this vulnerability is reflected in its CVSS score of 5.8, indicating a medium risk to affected systems.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. The best course of action is to update to the patched version as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The ruby-protocol-http1 package has a critical vulnerability that can lead to serious security issues such as HTTP request smuggling. It is essential for users to update to the latest patched version to mitigate these risks. Regular monitoring and updates are crucial for maintaining the security of applications.
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FAQ
The vulnerability can lead to HTTP request smuggling, which may allow attackers to bypass security measures and manipulate web traffic.
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The affected versions include ruby-protocol-http1 0.14.2-1 and 0.14.6-1 for Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, and 25.04.
Yes, not updating may expose your application to potential attacks that exploit this vulnerability, leading to data breaches or unauthorized access.
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