CVE-2008-2272 in Aruba Mobility Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the web interface in Aruba Mobility Controller 2.4.8.x-FIPS, 2.5.5.x, 2.5.6.x, 3.1.1.x, 3.2.0.x, and 3.3.1.x allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2017
The CVE-2008-2272 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw affecting Aruba Mobility Controller versions spanning multiple release branches including 2.4.8.x-FIPS, 2.5.5.x, 2.5.6.x, 3.1.1.x, 3.2.0.x, and 3.3.1.x. This vulnerability manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities within the web interface component of the mobility controller, creating a significant attack surface that enables remote threat actors to execute malicious code within the context of authenticated sessions. The flaw operates through unspecified vectors that likely involve improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application layer, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the controller's web interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input parameters that are processed and rendered within the web interface without proper HTML escaping or context-aware encoding. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that leverage the controller's web interface to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 indicates a failure in input validation and output encoding, specifically targeting the web application's ability to properly handle and sanitize user input before rendering it in the browser context. This allows attackers to bypass security controls and potentially escalate their privileges or gain unauthorized access to sensitive network management functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-2272 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides threat actors with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within enterprise wireless networks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate the web interface to redirect users to malicious sites, steal session cookies, or execute arbitrary commands within the context of the controller's administrative interface. The implications are particularly severe for wireless network administrators who rely on these controllers for critical network management functions, as the vulnerability could enable complete compromise of the wireless infrastructure. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts within the network management environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected Aruba Mobility Controller versions, as Aruba would have released security updates addressing the input validation flaws. Network administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to the mobility controller web interface, employ web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and establish strict access controls through multi-factor authentication. Additionally, regular security assessments of network management interfaces should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses, and security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in web interface traffic that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in network infrastructure management systems where compromise can lead to complete network infiltration and control.