rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.0, the shared HTTP CONNECT helper in lib/proxy/http.go parses proxy CONNECT responses with http.ReadResponse over an unrestricted buffered reader, allowing a malicious or compromised configured proxy, or an active on-path actor controlling a plaintext HTTP proxy hop, to send oversized headers that grow memory until the rclone process fails. The affected helper is used by FTP and SFTP proxy connections, and SFTP reaches the parser before SSH server authentication, so target host key validation does not constrain a malicious proxy. This issue is fixed in 1.75.0.
Weakness
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
Potential Mitigations
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/147.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/227.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/492.html