CVE-2010-2544 in Cacti
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in utilities.php in Cacti before 0.8.7g, as used in Red Hat High Performance Computing (HPC) Solution and other products, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the filter parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2544 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the utilities.php script of Cacti monitoring software versions prior to 0.8.7g. This vulnerability affects Red Hat High Performance Computing Solution and numerous other products that utilize Cacti for network monitoring and performance tracking. The flaw exists within the input validation mechanisms of the web application, specifically in how the filter parameter is processed and rendered within the user interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access affected pages, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input in the filter parameter of utilities.php. When Cacti processes this parameter without proper validation or encoding, it allows malicious scripts to be stored and subsequently executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where software does not properly neutralize user-controllable input data before it is used in the web application's output. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it enables attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code that executes within the victim's browser context, potentially allowing for session hijacking, data exfiltration, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-2544 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can compromise the integrity of network monitoring data and potentially provide attackers with access to sensitive system information. In environments utilizing Cacti for critical infrastructure monitoring, such as those found in high performance computing solutions, this vulnerability could enable attackers to manipulate monitoring dashboards, hide malicious activities from detection, or gain unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability's persistence in the application's codebase for an extended period before remediation demonstrates the critical nature of proper input validation in web applications and the importance of regular security assessments. Organizations using affected versions of Cacti face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data compromise, particularly in scenarios where monitoring interfaces are accessible to untrusted users.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2010-2544 requires immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the affected Cacti installations. System administrators should upgrade to Cacti version 0.8.7g or later, which includes proper sanitization of the filter parameter. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies, input validation libraries, and regular security audits can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious input patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.001, which covers Command and Scripting Interpreter, highlights the need for comprehensive application security measures including secure coding practices, regular vulnerability assessments, and proper input sanitization to prevent exploitation of such scripting vulnerabilities in monitoring and management applications.