GHSA-4jgr-pg2m-m988
Heimdall: Forwarded Header Injection via Unsanitized Host Header in Proxy Mode
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | github.com/dadrus/heimdall | < 0.17.17 | 0.17.17 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
### Summary
When Heimdall operates in proxy mode, it constructs the `Forwarded` HTTP header after executing the matched rule pipeline by inserting the incoming request's `Host` header value directly into the header string without sanitizing commas or semicolons. This allows an attacker to inject additional parameters into the `Forwarded` header, potentially spoofing IP addresses for upstream services.
### Vulnerable Code
**File: `proxy/request_context.go` (line 201)**
```go
entry := "for=" + clientIP + ";host=" + in.Host + ";proto=" + proto
```
Go's `net/http` allows commas and semicolons in Host header values. No sanitization is applied before string concatenation.
### PoC
```bash
# Inject a spoofed IP into the Forwarded header
curl -s -H "Host: evil.com,for=127.0.0.1" \
"http://TARGET:PORT/protected-resource"
```
This produces the following `Forwarded` header sent to the upstream service:
```
Forwarded: for=1.2.3.4;host=evil.com, for=127.0.0.1;proto=http
```
Upstream services that parse the `Forwarded` header according to RFC 7239 will see two entries. If the service trusts the last or any `for=` value, the attacker successfully spoofs `127.0.0.1` as the client IP.
```bash
# More targeted attack: spoof to bypass IP allowlist
curl -s -H "Host: legit.com;for=10.0.0.1;proto=https,for=192.168.1.1" \
"http://TARGET:PORT/admin-panel"
```
### Impact
- **IP spoofing:** Upstream services behind Heimdall may trust the injected `for=` value, believing the request originates from an internal/trusted IP
- **Access control bypass:** Applications that restrict access based on IP address by themselves, without using the corresponding heimdall capabilities (e.g., admin panels, internal APIs), can be bypassed
- **Affects all proxy-mode deployments** where upstream services parse the `Forwarded` header.
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.