CVE-2020-15693 : Security Advisory and Response

In Nim 1.2.4, the standard library httpClient is vulnerable to a CR-LF injection in the target URL. An injection is possible if the attacker controls any part of the URL provided in a call (such as httpClient.get or httpClient.post), the User-Agent header value, or custom HTTP header names or values.

Understanding CVE-2020-15693

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in the Nim programming language's standard library httpClient that allows for CR-LF injection in the target URL.

What is CVE-2020-15693?

CVE-2020-15693 is a security vulnerability in Nim 1.2.4 that enables attackers to perform CR-LF injection in the target URL when certain conditions are met.

The Impact of CVE-2020-15693

The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers to manipulate the URL, User-Agent header value, or custom HTTP header names or values, potentially leading to various attacks such as HTTP response splitting.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-15693

This section provides more in-depth technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Nim 1.2.4's httpClient allows for CR-LF injection in the target URL, giving attackers the ability to control parts of the URL and headers.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions affected: Not applicable

Exploitation Mechanism

The injection is possible when the attacker has control over any part of the URL provided in a call to httpClient.get or httpClient.post, the User-Agent header value, or custom HTTP header names or values.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2020-15693, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Nim to a version that includes a patch for this vulnerability.
Avoid passing user-controlled data directly to httpClient calls.
Implement input validation and sanitization to prevent malicious input.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for security updates and patches for Nim.
Educate developers on secure coding practices to prevent injection vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Nim to fix the CR-LF injection vulnerability in httpClient.