CVE-2022-24737 is a vulnerability identified in HTTPie, a popular command-line HTTP client used for making HTTP requests. The vulnerability affects versions of HTTPie prior to 3.1.0 and relates to the way HTTPie manages session data, specifically cookies. HTTPie sessions are designed to persist state information such as cookies between requests by storing this data on disk. However, before version 3.1.0, HTTPie did not properly segregate cookies by their associated host. This flaw meant that when an HTTP request resulted in a redirect from the original host to a third-party website, cookies belonging to the original host could be inadvertently exposed to the third party. This exposure constitutes a breach of confidentiality, as sensitive session cookies could be leaked to unauthorized actors, potentially enabling session hijacking or unauthorized access to user accounts or services. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-200, which involves the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no workarounds have been identified, making upgrading to HTTPie version 3.1.0 or later the primary mitigation strategy. The issue arises from improper cookie isolation in session management, a critical aspect of HTTP client security, especially when handling redirects across different domains.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, particularly for those relying on HTTPie for automated HTTP requests in development, testing, or operational environments. Exposure of cookies to third-party domains could lead to unauthorized access to internal or external web services, potentially compromising user sessions, sensitive data, or internal APIs. This risk is heightened in environments where HTTPie is used to interact with sensitive or regulated data, such as financial services, healthcare, or government sectors prevalent in Europe. The breach of confidentiality could lead to data privacy violations under regulations like GDPR, resulting in legal and financial repercussions. Additionally, session cookie exposure could facilitate lateral movement within networks or unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users, undermining the integrity and availability of services. Although no active exploitation has been reported, the vulnerability's presence in widely used tooling means that attackers could develop exploits, increasing the threat over time.

The primary and most effective mitigation is to upgrade HTTPie to version 3.1.0 or later, where the cookie isolation issue has been resolved. Organizations should audit their environments to identify any usage of HTTPie versions prior to 3.1.0, including in CI/CD pipelines, developer workstations, and automated scripts. For environments where immediate upgrading is challenging, consider restricting HTTPie usage to trusted networks and hosts to limit exposure. Additionally, monitor network traffic for unusual redirects or cookie transmissions to third-party domains. Implement strict cookie policies and consider using network-level controls to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration. Educate developers and users about the risks of using outdated HTTPie versions and enforce version control policies. Finally, review session management practices in applications interacting with HTTPie to ensure minimal cookie exposure and consider additional encryption or tokenization of sensitive session data where feasible.