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 [email protected] 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.