CVE-2020-28483
Improper HTTP Header Sanitization vulnerability in gin (Go)
What is CVE-2020-28483 About?
This vulnerability is an Improper HTTP Header Sanitization flaw, allowing malicious users to spoof their source IP address using the `X-Forwarded-For` header. This can enable bypass of IP-based restrictions and obfuscate the attacker's true origin. Exploitation is simple, requiring only the modification of a standard HTTP header.
Affected Software
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from improper sanitization or validation of the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header. In systems that rely on this header to determine a client's actual IP address (e.g., behind a proxy or load balancer), a malicious user can set an arbitrary IP address in this header. Without proper checks, the application or server-side logic will trust this spoofed IP. This allows an attacker to bypass IP-based access controls, geographic restrictions, or to obscure their real source IP address, hindering forensic investigations or evading blacklists. The mechanism involves injecting a manipulated X-Forwarded-For header in an HTTP request.
What is the Impact of CVE-2020-28483?
Successful exploitation may allow attackers to bypass IP-based security controls, obfuscate their origin, or evade detection, potentially leading to unauthorized access or actions.
What is the Exploitability of CVE-2020-28483?
Exploitation of this Improper HTTP Header Sanitization vulnerability is very low complexity. An attacker only needs to be able to send an HTTP request to the vulnerable application. There are no significant prerequisites other than the target system relying on the X-Forwarded-For header for security decisions without proper validation. No authentication is typically required, as header manipulation can occur in initial unauthenticated requests. Privilege requirements are also none, as it involves standard HTTP client behavior. This is a purely remote exploitation scenario. The risk is high for applications that implement IP-based access controls or logging mechanisms that solely rely on the X-Forwarded-For header without cross-referencing or validation, and where attackers have direct network access to the application.
What are the Known Public Exploits?
| PoC Author | Link | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| No known exploits | ||
What are the Available Fixes for CVE-2020-28483?
About the Fix from Resolved Security
This patch modifies how client IPs are extracted from headers by checking the list of proxy IPs in reverse order and stopping at the first untrusted proxy, rather than blindly trusting the left-most IP in the header. This fix ensures that untrusted clients cannot spoof their IP using crafted X-Forwarded-For headers, addressing the trust boundary vulnerability described in CVE-2020-28483.
Available Upgrade Options
- github.com/gin-gonic/gin
- <1.7.7 → Upgrade to 1.7.7
Struggling with dependency upgrades?
See how Resolved Security's drop-in replacements make it simple.
Book a demoAdditional Resources
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/commit/bfc8ca285eb46dad60e037d57c545cd260636711
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/issues/2862
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/pull/2844
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/pull/2474#23issuecomment-729696437
- https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-GOLANG-GITHUBCOMGINGONICGIN-1041736
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/pull/2675
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/commit/03e5e05ae089bc989f1ca41841f05504d29e3fd9
- https://github.com/gin-gonic/gin/issues/2473
- https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-GOLANG-GITHUBCOMGINGONICGIN-1041736
What are Similar Vulnerabilities to CVE-2020-28483?
Similar Vulnerabilities: CVE-2023-28104 , CVE-2022-40176 , CVE-2022-38686 , CVE-2022-24707 , CVE-2020-25032
