KDE Advisory: Konqueror

KDE Security Advisory: Konqueror Referer Leaking Website Authentication Credentials Original Release Date: 2003-07-29
URL: http://www.kde.org/info/security/advisory-20030729-1.txt

0. References

http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2003-0459

1. Systems affected:

All versions of Konqueror as distributed with KDE up to and including KDE 3.1.2 as well as Konqueror/Embedded

2. Overview:

Konqueror may inadvertently send authentication credentials to websites other than the intended website in clear text via the HTTP-referer header when authentication credentials are passed as part of a URL in the form of http://user:password@host/

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org/) has assigned the name CAN-2003-0459 to this issue.

3. Impact:

Users of Konqueror may unknowingly distribute website authentication credentials to third parties with links on the password protected website. This may make it possible for those third parties to gain unauthorized access to the password protected website.

Users of Konqueror may unknowingly send website authentication credentials in clear text across their local network and to websites of third parties. This may allow an attacker who is able to eavesdrop on such communication to obtain the credentials and use them to gain unauthorized access to the password protected website.

4. Solution:

Users can reduce, but not totally eliminate, the risk by not providing any password as part of a URL. Instead they should provide the password in the KDE authentication dialog when prompted.

Users of KDE 2.2.2 are advised to upgrade to KDE 3.1.3. A patch for KDE 2.2.2 is available as well for users that are unable to upgrade to KDE 3.1.

Users of KDE 3.0.x are advised to upgrade to KDE 3.1.3. A patch for KDE 3.0.5b is available as well for users that are unable to upgrade to KDE 3.1.

Users of KDE 3.1.x are advised to upgrade to KDE 3.1.3.

Users of Konqueror/Embedded are advised to upgrade to a snapshot of Konqueror/Embedded of July 5th, 2003 or later, available from http://devel-home.kde.org/~hausmann/snapshots/ :

30dc3e109124e8532c7c0ed6ad3ec6fb konqueror-embedded-snapshot-20030705.tar.gz

5. Patch:

A patch for KDE 2.2.2 is available from ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/security_patches :

90d0a6064ee1ba99347b55e303081cd5 post-2.2.2-kdelibs-http.patch

Patches for KDE 3.0.5b are available from ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/security_patches :

a2bd79b4a78aa7d51afe01c47a8ab6d2 post-3.0.5b-kdelibs-http.patch
a5ed29d49c07aa5a2c63b9bbaec0e7b2 post-3.0.5b-kdelibs-khtml.patch

Patches for KDE 3.1.2 are available from ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/security_patches :

8ebafe8432e92cb4e878a37153cf12a4 post-3.1.2-kdelibs-http.patch
6f27515ca22198b4060f4a4fe3c3a6b1 post-3.1.2-kdelibs-khtml.patch

6. Timeline and credits:

07/03/2003 Notification of security@kde.org by George Staikos
07/10/2003 Fixed in KDE CVS.
07/11/2003 OS vendors / binary package providers alerted and provided with patches.
07/29/2003 Public Security Advisory by the KDE Security team.