CVE-2000-0382 is a vulnerability found in version 1.0 of Allaire's ColdFusion ClusterCATS product. The issue arises during HTML redirection, where stale query string arguments are appended to the URL being redirected to. This behavior can inadvertently expose sensitive information contained within those query parameters to the destination site. Specifically, when a user is redirected, the application does not properly sanitize or clear previous query string parameters, causing potentially sensitive data such as session tokens, user identifiers, or other confidential parameters to be included in the redirected URL. This leakage can lead to confidentiality breaches if the redirected site is untrusted or malicious. The vulnerability does not affect the integrity or availability of the system, nor does it require authentication or user interaction to be exploited. The CVSS score is low (2.6) with a vector indicating network attack vector, high attack complexity, no authentication required, and partial confidentiality impact. There is no patch available for this issue, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. Given the age of the vulnerability (published in 2000) and the specific product affected, modern environments are unlikely to be impacted unless legacy systems are still in use. However, the risk remains that sensitive information could be leaked during redirection flows in affected versions of ClusterCATS, potentially aiding attackers in reconnaissance or social engineering attacks.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability is the potential leakage of sensitive information through URL redirection mechanisms in ColdFusion ClusterCATS 1.0. While the direct impact on system integrity and availability is negligible, the confidentiality breach could expose user data or internal parameters to unintended external parties. This could lead to privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), and reputational damage. Organizations using legacy ColdFusion ClusterCATS installations, particularly in sectors handling sensitive personal or financial data, may face increased risk. However, given the low severity and lack of known exploits, the overall operational risk is limited. The vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain if combined with other weaknesses, but on its own, it poses a low threat level to European enterprises.

Since no official patch is available for this vulnerability, European organizations should implement the following practical mitigations: 1) Audit and identify any legacy ColdFusion ClusterCATS 1.0 deployments within their infrastructure and plan for upgrade or decommissioning, as this product version is outdated and unsupported. 2) Implement strict input validation and URL sanitization on redirection logic to ensure stale or sensitive query parameters are not appended or leaked. 3) Use web application firewalls (WAFs) to monitor and block suspicious URL redirection patterns that include sensitive query strings. 4) Where possible, replace query string parameters with POST data or other secure methods to transmit sensitive information. 5) Educate developers and administrators about secure redirection practices and the risks of query string leakage. 6) Monitor network traffic for unexpected outbound URL redirections containing sensitive data. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on legacy system identification, secure coding practices specific to redirection, and compensating controls in the absence of a patch.