CVE-2008-6436 in WorkCentre
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Web Server in Xerox WorkCentre 7132, 7228, 7235, and 7245 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2018
The CVE-2008-6436 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the web server component of several Xerox WorkCentre multifunction devices including models 7132, 7228, 7235, and 7245. This vulnerability resides within the embedded web interface that administrators and users access to configure and manage the printing devices, making it a significant security risk for enterprise environments where these devices are deployed. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into the device's web interface, potentially compromising the security of the entire network infrastructure that relies on these multifunction printers for document management and printing services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the web server's response handling mechanisms. When the affected Xerox devices process user-supplied input through their web interface, they fail to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This weakness creates an exploitable condition where malicious actors can craft specially formatted requests containing script payloads that get executed in the context of other users who view the affected web pages. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple input points within the web interface may be susceptible to this type of injection attack, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited through various attack surfaces including configuration forms, status pages, or administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks within enterprise networks. An attacker who successfully exploits this XSS vulnerability could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute arbitrary commands on the affected devices depending on the level of access granted through the web interface. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can serve as a stepping stone for lateral movement within networks where multifunction printers are connected to internal systems. The presence of such vulnerabilities in network infrastructure devices like multifunction printers represents a significant concern for organizations following security frameworks such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, as these devices often serve as entry points for attackers seeking to establish persistent access to corporate networks.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, including immediate firmware updates from Xerox, network segmentation of printing devices, and enhanced web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a clear violation of the security principle that all user inputs must be properly validated and sanitized before being processed or displayed. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through web application exploitation and privilege escalation through the use of compromised web interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing regular security assessments of their networked devices and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing web interface compromises to ensure rapid detection and remediation of such vulnerabilities in their multifunction printer fleets.