CVE-2009-4149 in Service Desk
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web interface in CA Service Desk 12.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an unspecified parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2015
The CVE-2009-4149 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the web interface of CA Service Desk version 12.1, exposing organizations to significant security risks through remote code execution via malicious web scripts. This vulnerability resides in the web application layer of the service desk platform, specifically targeting the input validation mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized script injection into web interfaces. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code through an unspecified parameter, creating a pathway for malicious actors to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data within the service desk environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output encoding practices within the web interface components of CA Service Desk 12.1. When user-supplied data is not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages, attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where applications fail to properly validate or encode user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability's classification aligns with the broader category of injection flaws that can lead to session hijacking, data theft, and unauthorized administrative access within web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-4149 extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to manipulate the service desk interface and potentially escalate privileges within the system. Remote attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject persistent scripts that maintain access across multiple sessions. The web interface of CA Service Desk serves as a critical business application for incident management and service requests, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could allow unauthorized individuals to access sensitive service desk data, manipulate incident records, or disrupt business operations. This threat is exacerbated by the fact that the vulnerability affects the core web interface, which is likely accessed by multiple users including administrators and service desk personnel.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation updates, output encoding improvements, and web application firewall rules to filter malicious script content. The remediation strategy should focus on implementing proper parameter validation across all web interface components and ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly escaped before presentation in web pages. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies to prevent script execution and establish monitoring protocols to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining secure coding practices and regular security assessments for enterprise service desk applications, particularly those handling sensitive business data and user information. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access through social engineering, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat landscape surrounding such injection vulnerabilities.