Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What attack is likely if the web server has HTTP response-splitting flaws?

1. Cross-site scripting

2. Web cache poisoning attack

3. Command injection

4. SQL injection

The correct answer is: Web cache poisoning attack

When a web server is vulnerable to HTTP response-splitting flaws, it can misinterpret changes made to response headers, leading to a separation between the actual response and the additional traffic that can be injected. This flaw allows an attacker to manipulate the HTTP response sent back to the client, potentially leading to a web cache poisoning attack. In a web cache poisoning scenario, the attacker can craft a malicious request that tricks the caching mechanism into storing a tainted version of a page. Once the cache is poisoned, subsequent requests to the server may return the maliciously modified content to users accessing the affected page. This can lead to various security risks, including the distribution of phishing content or malware to users who unwittingly access the cached response. Understanding this attack's mechanisms highlights the importance of securing web servers against HTTP response-splitting vulnerabilities, as they can lead directly to broader effects like web cache poisoning.