CWE-698: Execution After Redirect (EAR)
Learn about CWE-698 (Execution After Redirect (EAR)), its security impact, exploitation methods, and prevention guidelines.
What is Execution After Redirect (EAR)?
• Overview: Execution After Redirect (EAR) occurs when a web application issues a redirect to another location but continues executing code after the redirect has been sent, potentially leading to unintended actions or security risks.
• Exploitation Methods:
- Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute unauthorized actions by manipulating the sequence of code execution after the redirect.
- Common attack patterns include leveraging the additional code execution to modify application state, gain unauthorized access, or inject malicious content.
• Security Impact:
- Direct consequences of successful exploitation include unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of the user, such as altering data or accessing restricted areas.
- Potential cascading effects include the compromise of user data integrity and confidentiality, leading to further security breaches.
- Business impact could involve data loss, reputation damage, and potential legal consequences due to non-compliance with data protection regulations.
• Prevention Guidelines:
- Specific code-level fixes include ensuring that code execution halts immediately after issuing a redirect by using statements like "exit" or "return" after the redirect function.
- Security best practices involve thorough review and testing of redirect logic to ensure no code execution occurs post-redirect.
- Recommended tools and frameworks include static analysis tools that detect EAR patterns and web application frameworks that enforce strict redirect handling mechanisms.
Technical Details
Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified
Affected Languages: Not specified
Affected Technologies: Not specified