CVE-2009-2898 in Hyperic HQ
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Alerts list feature in the web interface in SpringSource Hyperic HQ 3.2.x before 3.2.6.1, 4.0.x before 4.0.3.1, 4.1.x before 4.1.2.1, and 4.2-beta1; Application Management Suite (AMS) 2.0.0.SR3; and tc Server 6.0.20.B allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Description field. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2024
The CVE-2009-2898 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw that affected multiple versions of SpringSource Hyperic HQ and related products. This vulnerability specifically targeted the Alerts list feature within the web interface, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code. The flaw existed in versions 3.2.x before 3.2.6.1, 4.0.x before 4.0.3.1, 4.1.x before 4.1.2.1, and the 4.2-beta1 release, along with Application Management Suite 2.0.0.SR3 and tc Server 6.0.20.B. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it required only authenticated access, meaning that users with legitimate credentials could exploit this weakness to compromise the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in web applications that allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into content that is then executed by other users. In the context of Hyperic HQ, the vulnerability manifested when users with appropriate permissions entered malicious content into the Description field of alerts. The web application failed to properly sanitize or escape this input before rendering it in the user interface, creating an environment where attacker-controlled scripts could execute within the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through malicious file execution, and represents a classic example of insecure input handling that violates secure coding principles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant for organizations using affected versions of these products. Remote authenticated attackers could leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability could be exploited by users who already had legitimate access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users shared administrative privileges. Attackers could craft malicious descriptions that would execute when other users viewed the alerts list, potentially leading to widespread compromise of the monitoring infrastructure. The vulnerability also had implications for the integrity of the monitoring data, as attackers could manipulate alert displays to hide or distort critical system information. Organizations relying on Hyperic HQ for system monitoring and alerting could face serious security implications, including potential data exfiltration and system compromise through the execution of malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability included immediate patching of affected systems to versions 3.2.6.1, 4.0.3.1, 4.1.2.1, and later releases where the XSS protection was properly implemented. Organizations should have also implemented input validation and output encoding measures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other parts of their web applications. The fix typically involved proper sanitization of user inputs before rendering them in web pages, implementing Content Security Policies to restrict script execution, and ensuring that all user-supplied data was properly escaped before being displayed in the interface. Additionally, organizations should have reviewed their authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure that only necessary privileges were granted to users, reducing the attack surface for such vulnerabilities. This vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust input validation as fundamental security controls in web-based monitoring and management systems.