Cache Poisoning & Web Cache Deception

Purpose

Provide detection patterns for HTTP cache poisoning and web cache deception vulnerabilities, including proxy cache misconfigurations, cache key manipulation, and authenticated response caching.

OWASP 2025 Mapping

Category: Related to A01 (Broken Access Control), A05 (Security Misconfiguration)

CWEs:

• CWE-524: Use of Cache Containing Sensitive Information
• CWE-525: Use of Web Browser Cache Containing Sensitive Information
• CWE-444: Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests
• CWE-436: Interpretation Conflict

When to Use

Activate this skill when:

• Reviewing proxy/CDN configurations (Nginx, Varnish, Cloudflare, etc.)
• Analyzing SSRF vulnerabilities for exfiltration vectors
• Auditing applications with static file caching
• Looking for authenticated content exposure
• Checking cache key construction for manipulation

---

Web Cache Deception

Overview

Web cache deception occurs when:

1. Proxy caches responses based on file extension (e.g., .png, .css)
2. Application serves dynamic content regardless of path extension
3. Attacker tricks victim into visiting /profile.png
4. Proxy caches authenticated response
5. Attacker retrieves cached sensitive data

Detection Patterns

Nginx Cache Configuration

# Find proxy cache configurations
grep -rniE "proxy_cache|proxy_cache_valid|proxy_cache_key" --include="*.conf" --include="nginx.conf"

# Check cache rules for static extensions (HIGH RISK)
grep -rniE "location.*\.(css|js|png|jpg|jpeg|gif|ico|svg|woff)" -A10 --include="*.conf" | grep -iE "proxy_cache|cache"

# Cache key analysis - look for missing user identification
grep -rniE "proxy_cache_key" --include="*.conf"

# Caching authenticated responses (CRITICAL if no Vary header)
grep -rniE "proxy_cache_valid\s+200" --include="*.conf"

Varnish Cache Configuration

# VCL cache rules
grep -rniE "vcl_recv|vcl_hash|vcl_backend_response" --include="*.vcl"

# Static extension caching
grep -rniE "req\.url.*\.(css|js|png|jpg|jpeg|gif|ico)" --include="*.vcl"

# Cache TTL settings
grep -rniE "set beresp\.ttl|beresp\.grace" --include="*.vcl"

Apache/mod_cache

# mod_cache configuration
grep -rniE "CacheEnable|CacheRoot|CacheMaxExpire" --include="*.conf" --include=".htaccess"

# Cache for specific paths
grep -rniE "CacheEnable.*disk" --include="*.conf"

CDN/Cloud Configurations

# Cloudflare/AWS CloudFront
grep -rniE "cache.*control|edge.*cache|cdn.*cache|cloudfront|cloudflare" --include="*.json" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.yml"

# Cache-Control headers
grep -rniE "Cache-Control|max-age|s-maxage|public|private" --include="*.go" --include="*.py" --include="*.java" --include="*.ts" --include="*.php"

---

Cache Key Manipulation

Detection Patterns

# Host header in requests (potential cache key manipulation)
grep -rniE "Host.*header|getHeader.*Host|X-Forwarded-Host|X-Original-Host" --include="*.go" --include="*.py" --include="*.java" --include="*.ts" --include="*.php"

# Query parameter handling
grep -rniE "query.*param|request\.query|getQueryString" --include="*.go" --include="*.py" --include="*.java" --include="*.ts" --include="*.php"

# Cache key includes query string?
grep -rniE "proxy_cache_key.*query|CacheKeyQueryString" --include="*.conf" --include="*.vcl"

Cache Key Injection via Headers

# X-Forwarded-* headers that might be in cache key
grep -rniE "X-Forwarded-Host|X-Forwarded-Scheme|X-Forwarded-Proto" --include="*.conf" --include="*.go" --include="*.py"

# Unkeyed headers that affect response
grep -rniE "X-Original-URL|X-Rewrite-URL" --include="*.conf" --include="*.go" --include="*.py"

---

SSRF + Cache Poisoning Chain

Overview

When SSRF response is not directly returned to attacker:

1. Make SSRF request to /sensitive-endpoint.png
2. Proxy caches the response (thinks it's static)
3. Attacker requests same path
4. Gets cached sensitive data

Detection Patterns

# SSRF endpoints that make internal requests
grep -rniE "requests\.get|http\.Get|fetch\(|axios\.|urllib" --include="*.py" --include="*.go" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts"

# User-controlled URLs in SSRF
grep -rniE "url.*=.*request|uri.*=.*request|callback.*=.*request" --include="*.py" --include="*.go" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts"

# Check if proxy caches the response path
grep -rniE "proxy_cache|cache_valid" -B5 -A5 --include="*.conf"

Verification Checklist for SSRF + Cache

• Can attacker control part of the request path?
• Does proxy cache responses based on path/extension?
• Can attacker add file extension to bypass cache rules?
• Is there a timing window to retrieve cached response?

---

Path Extension Abuse

Overview

Many caches use file extension to determine cacheability:

• /api/user/profile - NOT cached (dynamic)
• /api/user/profile.png - CACHED (static file)

If the application ignores the extension and serves the same content, this enables cache deception.

Detection Patterns

# Flask/Django wildcard routes
grep -rniE "route.*<path:|path:subpath|<.*:.*>" --include="*.py"

# Express catch-all routes
grep -rniE "app\.get\('\*'|router\.get\('\*'|\.use\('\/'," --include="*.js" --include="*.ts"

# Nginx location blocks that proxy regardless of extension
grep -rniE "location\s+/|location\s+~" -A10 --include="*.conf" | grep -iE "proxy_pass"

# Check if routes handle extensions gracefully (ignore them)
grep -rniE "\.split\('\.\'\)|path\.extname|endswith|path.*extension" --include="*.py" --include="*.go" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts"

---

Response Caching of Authenticated Content

Detection Patterns

# Missing Vary header (should include Authorization/Cookie)
grep -rniE "Vary.*header|add_header.*Vary" --include="*.conf" --include="*.go" --include="*.py"

# Cache-Control: private not set for authenticated endpoints
grep -rniE "@login_required|@jwt_required|isAuthenticated|requireAuth" -A20 --include="*.py" --include="*.go" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts" | grep -iE "cache|response"

# Session/Cookie in cached responses
grep -rniE "Set-Cookie.*Cache|Cache-Control.*Set-Cookie" --include="*.conf" --include="*.py" --include="*.go"

Proper Cache Headers for Authenticated Content

Cache-Control: private, no-store, must-revalidate
Vary: Authorization, Cookie

---

CDN-Specific Patterns

Cloudflare

# Page Rules caching
grep -rniE "page.*rules|cache.*level|cache.*everything" --include="*.json" --include="*.tf"

# Bypass cache
grep -rniE "bypass.*cache|cache\.bypass" --include="*.json"

AWS CloudFront

# Cache behaviors
grep -rniE "CacheBehavior|DefaultCacheBehavior|CachePolicyId" --include="*.json" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.tf"

# Origin request policy
grep -rniE "OriginRequestPolicy|ForwardedValues" --include="*.json" --include="*.yaml"

Fastly/Akamai

# VCL snippets
grep -rniE "snippet|vcl_recv|vcl_hash" --include="*.vcl" --include="*.json"

# Edge logic
grep -rniE "edge.*cache|surrogate.*key" --include="*.json" --include="*.yaml"

---

Framework-Specific Checks

Django

# Cache framework usage
grep -rniE "django\.core\.cache|@cache_page|CACHES\s*=" --include="*.py"

# Vary header decorator
grep -rniE "@vary_on_headers|@vary_on_cookie" --include="*.py"

Express/Node.js

# Express static middleware
grep -rniE "express\.static|serve-static|maxAge" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts"

# Cache headers in responses
grep -rniE "res\.set.*Cache|setHeader.*Cache" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts"

Spring Boot

# Cache annotations
grep -rniE "@Cacheable|@CacheEvict|@CachePut" --include="*.java"

# Spring Cache configuration
grep -rniE "spring\.cache|CacheManager|EhCache|Redis" --include="*.properties" --include="*.yaml"

Go

# HTTP caching libraries
grep -rniE "httpcache|groupcache|bigcache" --include="*.go"

# Cache-Control headers
grep -rniE "Cache-Control|w\.Header\(\)\.Set" --include="*.go"

---

Cross-Layer Analysis

Verification Steps

When analyzing cache vulnerabilities, check all layers:

1. Application Layer

   • Does app handle path extensions?
   • What data is in authenticated responses?
   • Are Cache-Control headers set?

2. Proxy Layer (Nginx/HAProxy)

   • What paths are cached?
   • How is cache key constructed?
   • What's the cache TTL?

3. CDN Layer (Cloudflare/CloudFront)

   • Page rules / cache behaviors
   • Origin cache settings
   • Cache key configuration

Command to Check Full Stack

# Find all config files
find . -name "*.conf" -o -name "*.vcl" -o -name "nginx*" -o -name "*cloudfront*" -o -name "*cdn*" 2>/dev/null | head -20

# Check for cache configuration across all layers
grep -rniE "cache|proxy_cache|vcl_|CDN|cloudfront|cloudflare" --include="*.conf" --include="*.vcl" --include="*.json" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.tf"

---

Exploitation Checklist

When cache vulnerabilities are found:

• Identify what content can be cached
• Determine if authenticated responses are cacheable
• Find a way to make victim visit poisoned URL
• Check cache TTL to understand exploitation window
• Verify cache key doesn't include session identifiers
• Test path extension abuse (add .css, .png, .js)
• Check for unkeyed headers that affect response

---

Example Attack Scenarios

Scenario 1: SSRF + Cache Deception (CDNio Pattern)

1. SSRF allows bot to visit internal URLs as admin
2. Nginx caches /*.png for 3 minutes
3. Make bot visit /profile.png (admin profile)
4. Request /profile.png → Get cached admin data

Scenario 2: Path Confusion

1. App serves /api/user regardless of extension
2. CDN caches /api/user.css (thinks it's static)
3. Attacker requests /api/user.css
4. Gets user profile from cache

Scenario 3: Host Header Poisoning

1. Cache key includes Host header
2. Inject X-Forwarded-Host: evil.com
3. Response contains evil.com URLs
4. Cache serves poisoned response to all users

---

Remediation

Nginx

# Don't cache authenticated responses
location ~* \.(css|js|png|jpg)$ {
    proxy_cache cache;
    proxy_cache_valid 200 3m;
    # Add this to prevent caching authenticated responses
    proxy_cache_bypass $http_authorization $cookie_session;
    proxy_no_cache $http_authorization $cookie_session;
}

Application

# Set proper cache headers for authenticated endpoints
@app.route('/profile')
@jwt_required
def profile():
    response = make_response(jsonify(user_data))
    response.headers['Cache-Control'] = 'private, no-store'
    response.headers['Vary'] = 'Authorization'
    return response

CDN

• Include Authorization/Cookie in cache key
• Use "Cache-Control: private" for authenticated content
• Set appropriate cache behaviors per path pattern

---

CWE References

CWE	Name	Example
CWE-524	Sensitive Info in Cache	Authenticated data cached
CWE-525	Browser Cache Sensitive Info	Secrets in browser cache
CWE-444	HTTP Request Smuggling	Cache poisoning via smuggling
CWE-436	Interpretation Conflict	Path extension confusion