CVE-2009-5099 in BI Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in ViewAction in Pentaho BI Server 1.7.0.1062 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the outputType parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2018
The CVE-2009-5099 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Pentaho Business Intelligence Server platform, specifically affecting versions 1.7.0.1062 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the ViewAction component, which serves as a core functionality for rendering and displaying business intelligence reports and dashboards. The flaw manifests when the system fails to properly sanitize user input parameters, particularly the outputType parameter that controls how report data is formatted and displayed to end users. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that leverage the outputType parameter to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the application's response. The vulnerability's classification as a CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) indicates it falls under the well-established category of injection flaws where untrusted data is improperly handled and executed within the browser context of legitimate users. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in business intelligence environments where users may have varying privilege levels and where sensitive data is regularly displayed through web interfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-5099 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to execute malicious code within the context of authenticated users' browsers. When a user accesses a compromised report or dashboard that contains the injected script, the malicious code executes with the user's privileges, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of the internal network. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or knowledge of internal network structures to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Pentaho BI Server is exposed to external networks. The attack vector specifically targets the outputType parameter, which is commonly used in web applications to control rendering formats such as html, pdf, or xml, making this a common attack surface in reporting and analytics platforms. The vulnerability's presence in Pentaho BI Server 1.7.0.1062 and earlier versions demonstrates a persistent flaw in input validation and output encoding practices that were not adequately addressed in the affected releases.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-5099 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Pentaho BI Server installations to the latest available versions that contain proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers, including application-level parameter validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting the capabilities of the Pentaho application and ensuring that user-generated content is properly escaped before being rendered in web contexts. Security measures should include implementing content security policies that prevent execution of unauthorized scripts and regular security assessments of web applications to identify similar injection vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that all web applications undergo thorough security testing before deployment. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK framework techniques related to command and control through web application exploitation, where attackers use such vulnerabilities to establish persistent access to enterprise environments. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security training for developers to prevent similar issues in future application development cycles.