CVE-2008-2743 in Xerox 4590
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the embedded web server in Xerox 4110, 4590, and 4595 Copier/Printers allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2743 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the embedded web server of several Xerox copier and printer models including the 4110, 4590, and 4595 series. This issue falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a prevalent web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The embedded web server functionality in these devices provides administrative interfaces and configuration options accessible via web browsers, making them potential targets for cyber attacks that exploit this vulnerability.
The technical nature of this flaw lies in the insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the embedded web server component of the affected Xerox devices. Attackers can potentially exploit this vulnerability through unknown attack vectors that allow them to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the device's web interface. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack means that malicious actors do not require physical access to the device or network proximity to exploit the flaw, significantly expanding the potential attack surface. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web page output without proper sanitization or encoding, allowing malicious code to execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized administrative access to the affected devices. The embedded web server in these copiers and printers often provides access to sensitive configuration parameters, network settings, and potentially administrative functions that could be leveraged by attackers to gain deeper access to corporate networks. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can potentially compromise these devices from anywhere on the internet, making them particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these devices are often connected to internal networks without proper network segmentation or security controls.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying available firmware updates from Xerox, implementing network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical network segments, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity related to these devices. The vulnerability's impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol: DNS and T1566 for credential access through various means, as attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and access network resources. Security professionals should also consider implementing web application firewalls or network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor and block malicious payloads targeting these embedded web servers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of securing Internet of Things devices and embedded systems, as these often receive less security attention than traditional computing platforms but can provide significant attack vectors into corporate networks through the principles outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 standards for information security management.