VU#867593 - Web servers enable HTTP TRACE method by default

VU#867593 - Web servers enable HTTP TRACE method by default
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Web servers enable HTTP TRACE method by default
Vulnerability Note VU#867593
Original Release Date: 2003-01-24 | Last Revised: 2009-08-17
Overview
The HTTP TRACE method returns the contents of client HTTP requests in the entity-body of the TRACE response. Attackers could leverage this behavior to access sensitive information, such as cookies or authentication data, contained in the HTTP headers of the request.
Description
The HTTP TRACE method asks a web server to echo the contents of the request back to the client for debugging purposes. The HTTP TRACE method is described in the HTTP 1.1 standard (
RFC 2616
, section 9.8):
9.8 TRACE The TRACE method is used to invoke a remote, application-layer loop- back of the request message. The final recipient of the request SHOULD reflect the message received back to the client as the entity-body of a 200 (OK) response. ... If the request is valid, the response SHOULD contain the entire request message in the entity-body, with a Content-Type of "message/http". Responses to this method MUST NOT be cached.
As defined above, the complete request, including HTTP headers, is returned in the entity-body of a TRACE response. Using features that provide client-side HTTP protocol support, such as
XMLHTTP
ActiveX or XMLDOM scripting objects, a web site can cause browsers to issue TRACE requests. The site can read the TRACE response, including sensitive header information such as cookies or authentication data.
When combined with cross-domain browser vulnerabilities (
VU#244729
VU#711843
VU#728563
), HTTP TRACE and client-side HTTP support can be leveraged by attackers to read sensitive header information from third-party domains. This technique has been termed "Cross-Site Tracing," or XST, in a
report
published by WhiteHat Security. As noted in the report, the technique can be used to bypass the
HttpOnly
cookie attribute introduced in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1. HttpOnly blocks script access to the
property (document.cookie), but does not prevent a scripting object from reading the cookie out of an HTTP TRACE response.
Impact
Attackers may abuse HTTP TRACE functionality to gain access to information in HTTP headers such as cookies and authentication data. In the presence of other cross-domain vulnerabilities in web browsers, sensitive header information could be read from any domains that support the HTTP TRACE method.
Solution
Disable HTTP TRACE support
Based on site requirements and policy, consider disabling HTTP TRACE support in web servers. As a best practice, we recommend limiting input ("whitelisting") to the minimum set of methods required for proper operation of a given application.
Apache HTTP Server
To disable HTTP TRACE support, set
TraceEnable Off
Alternatively, use the Apache
mod_rewrite
module to deny HTTP TRACE requests or to permit only the methods needed to meet site requirements and policy. TRACE requests can be disabled with the following
mod_rewrite
syntax:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} ^TRACE
RewriteRule .* - [F]
Disabling HTTP TRACE with the
TraceEnable
directive is simpler, more direct, and requires less overhead than using
mod_rewrite
Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)
Use the
URLScan
tool to deny HTTP TRACE requests or to permit only the methods needed to meet site requirements and policy. The default configurations of Urlscan 2.5 (both baseline and SRP) only permit GET and HEAD methods.
Vendor Information
Expand all
Apache
Affected
Notified:  January 09, 2003
Updated: January 10, 2003
Status
Affected
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
IBM Corporation
Affected
Updated:  February 22, 2008
Status
Affected
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
Please see
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
Lotus Software
Affected
Updated:  February 22, 2008
Status
Affected
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
Please see
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
Microsoft Corporation
Affected
Notified:  January 09, 2003
Updated: January 23, 2003
Status
Affected
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Affected
Notified:  January 09, 2003
Updated: August 17, 2009
Statement Date:   February 19, 2003
Status
Affected
Vendor Statement
The iPlanet Web Server 4.1 and Sun ONE Web Server 6.0 both have HTTP TRACE enabled by default. For details of how to disable HTTP TRACE support, see the following Sun Alert:
Vendor Information
Vendor References
BEA Systems Inc.
Unknown
Updated:  February 24, 2003
Status
Unknown
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
Oracle Corporation
Unknown
Updated:  February 24, 2003
Status
Unknown
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
Roxen Internet Software AB
Unknown
Updated:  February 24, 2003
Status
Unknown
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
thttpd
Unknown
Updated:  February 24, 2003
Status
Unknown
Vendor Statement
We have not received a statement from the vendor.
Vendor Information
We are not aware of further vendor information regarding this vulnerability.
Addendum
The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us
email
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Acknowledgements
This issue was researched and reported by Jeremiah Grossman of WhiteHat Security.
This document was written by Art Manion.
Other Information
CVE IDs:
None
Severity Metric:
3.71
Date Public:
2003-01-20
Date First Published:
2003-01-24
Date Last Updated:
2009-08-17 18:54 UTC
Document Revision:
48
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