CVE-2008-6666 in Kronos webTA
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Kronos webTA allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the description field to (1) servlet/com.threeis.webta.H710selProject and (2) servlet/com.threeis.webta.H720editProjectInfo. NOTE: BID:29610 states that the initial report was incorrect, but the reason for this conclusion is unknown.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6666 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Kronos webTA application, a workforce management system widely deployed in enterprise environments. This vulnerability resides in the web application's handling of user input within specific servlet endpoints, creating a persistent security risk that could be exploited by remote attackers without authentication. The affected components include the servlet paths servlet/com.threeis.webta.H710selProject and servlet/com.threeis.webta.H720editProjectInfo, which process project-related data submissions. These servlets fail to properly sanitize or validate user input received through the description field, creating an attack vector that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the application's response. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent XSS issue means that the injected code can be executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized access to sensitive workforce data. The initial disclosure by the vulnerability report referenced in BID:29610 indicates a correction to the original findings, though the specific reasons for this revision remain unclear, suggesting potential complexity in the vulnerability's exploitation or a misunderstanding in the initial assessment. This weakness directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a security flaw where untrusted input is improperly handled, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531, which involves using malicious scripts to manipulate web applications and potentially gain unauthorized access to user sessions. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption, as it could enable attackers to establish persistent access to workforce management systems that often contain sensitive employee information, payroll data, and time tracking records. Organizations utilizing Kronos webTA would be particularly vulnerable to attacks targeting their human resources and payroll processes, potentially compromising not just the application itself but also the broader enterprise network through session manipulation or credential harvesting.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires attackers to craft malicious payloads that can be submitted through the vulnerable description fields of the identified servlet endpoints. When legitimate users interact with the application and view pages containing the injected malicious code, the script executes in their browser context, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability's persistence stems from the lack of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the webTA application's servlet processing logic. Attackers could leverage this flaw to inject scripts that would execute whenever other users view project information or select projects, creating a scalable attack vector that could affect numerous users within the organization. The absence of proper sanitization routines in the affected servlet components indicates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture, where user-provided data is treated as trusted without appropriate security measures. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies, particularly in web applications that handle sensitive workforce data. The remediation process would require thorough input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in their workforce management systems, as the nature of this flaw suggests potential for similar issues in other components of the webTA application. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent XSS flaw underscores the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the application lifecycle, particularly focusing on user input handling and data validation mechanisms.