CVE-2022-29167 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

Hawk is an HTTP authentication scheme that was affected by a Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) vulnerability in header parsing, leading to potential security risks. Learn more about the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps related to CVE-2022-29167.

Understanding CVE-2022-29167

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in the Hawk HTTP authentication scheme that allowed for potential denial-of-service attacks through a ReDoS exploit.

What is CVE-2022-29167?

Hawk, an HTTP authentication scheme, was vulnerable to a Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) attack in its header parsing functionality.

The Impact of CVE-2022-29167

The vulnerability in Hawk's header parsing could be exploited to cause denial-of-service attacks, impacting the availability of affected systems. With a CVSS base score of 7.4, this vulnerability has a high severity rating.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-29167

The vulnerability stemmed from Hawk's use of a regular expression to parse the

Host

HTTP header, specifically the

Hawk.utils.parseHost()

function, which was susceptible to ReDoS attacks. The issue was addressed in version 9.0.1 by replacing the vulnerable function with a more secure method using the built-in

URL

class for hostname parsing.

Vulnerability Description

The ReDoS vulnerability in Hawk's header parsing allowed attackers to exploit computation time exponentially by manipulating the input provided to the

Hawk.utils.parseHost()

function.

Affected Systems and Versions

Products using Hawk with versions prior to 9.0.1 are susceptible to this vulnerability, impacting systems reliant on Hawk's HTTP authentication.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers could exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious input that caused excessive computation time during the parsing of the

Host

HTTP header, leading to denial-of-service conditions.

Mitigation and Prevention

To protect systems from potential exploitation of CVE-2022-29167, immediate actions, long-term security practices, and the importance of regular patching and updates are crucial.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update their Hawk implementations to version 9.0.1 or newer to mitigate the ReDoS vulnerability and enhance the security of their systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, regular security audits, and staying informed about potential vulnerabilities are essential for maintaining robust system security.

Patching and Updates

Regularly applying security patches, monitoring security advisories, and promptly updating software components can help prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-29167.