CVE-2022-1592
📋 TL;DR
This Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the Scout application allows attackers to make the server send arbitrary HTTP requests to internal or external systems. It affects all users running Scout versions prior to v4.42, potentially enabling data theft, internal network probing, or cross-site scripting attacks.
💻 Affected Systems
- clinical-genomics/scout
📦 What is this software?
Scout by Clinical Genomics
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of internal systems through credential theft, sensitive data exfiltration, or lateral movement within the network via the application server's privileged position.
Likely Case
Stealing session cookies or authentication tokens, accessing internal APIs or services, and potentially performing reflected XSS attacks against users.
If Mitigated
Limited to port scanning internal services or causing minor denial-of-service through resource exhaustion.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires some user interaction but is technically simple once the vulnerability is understood.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: v4.42
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/clinical-genomics/scout/commit/b0ef15f4737d0c801154c1991b52ff5cab4f5c83
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Scout to version 4.42 or later using 'pip install scout==4.42' or equivalent package manager. 2. Restart the Scout application server. 3. Verify the fix by checking the version and testing SSRF protections.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation and URL Whitelisting
allImplement strict validation of user-supplied URLs and restrict allowed protocols and domains
Network Segmentation
allRestrict outbound network access from the Scout server to only necessary external services
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with SSRF protection rules
- Monitor outbound network traffic from the Scout server for suspicious patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Scout version: if version < 4.42, system is vulnerable. Test by attempting to make the server request internal URLs like http://localhost or http://169.254.169.254.Check Version:
python -c "import scout; print(scout.__version__)" or check package managerVerify Fix Applied:
After updating to v4.42+, test that the application properly validates and restricts URL requests. Attempt to request internal URLs should be blocked.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual outbound HTTP requests from Scout server
- Requests to internal IP addresses or metadata services
- Multiple failed URL validation attempts
Network Indicators:
- Scout server making requests to unexpected domains or internal addresses
- Patterns of requests to metadata endpoints (169.254.169.254, etc.)
SIEM Query:
source="scout-logs" AND (url="*localhost*" OR url="*169.254*" OR url="*metadata*" OR url="*internal*")🔗 References
- https://github.com/clinical-genomics/scout/commit/b0ef15f4737d0c801154c1991b52ff5cab4f5c83
- https://huntr.dev/bounties/352b39da-0f2e-415a-9793-5480cae8bd27
- https://github.com/clinical-genomics/scout/commit/b0ef15f4737d0c801154c1991b52ff5cab4f5c83
- https://huntr.dev/bounties/352b39da-0f2e-415a-9793-5480cae8bd27
