CVE-2010-5282 in Livelink ECM
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in OpenText ECM (formerly Livelink ECM) 9.7.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) viewType and (2) sort parameters in a browse action to livelink/livelink; and the (3) nodeid, (4) setctx, and (5) support parameters to livelinkdav/nodes/OOB_DAVWindow.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2017
The vulnerability CVE-2010-5282 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in OpenText ECM (formerly Livelink ECM) version 9.7.1, affecting a widely deployed enterprise content management platform. This vulnerability resides in the web application's handling of user-supplied input parameters within specific URL endpoints, creating a persistent security risk for organizations relying on this platform for document management and collaboration. The flaw specifically impacts the livelink and livelinkdav web services that handle document browsing and access operations, making it particularly dangerous for environments where sensitive corporate documents are stored and retrieved through these interfaces.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's parameter processing logic. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating five distinct parameters across two different web endpoints to inject malicious scripts into the application's response. The viewType and sort parameters in the livelink/livelink endpoint, along with nodeid, setctx, and support parameters in the livelinkdav/nodes/OOB_DAVWindow.html endpoint, all suffer from the same fundamental flaw where user-controllable input is directly reflected in the HTTP response without proper sanitization or encoding. This allows attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when executed by unsuspecting users, can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser context, effectively bypassing the same-origin policy that normally protects web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-5282 extends far beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a pathway for persistent access and data exfiltration within compromised environments. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, access sensitive documents, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability's presence in core document browsing and access functionality means that any user with access to the affected system could potentially become a vector for broader attacks within the organization. This aligns with CWE-79, which classifies cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a critical weakness in web application security, and follows patterns commonly seen in the ATT&CK framework under the T1566 technique for initial access through spearphishing or malicious web content.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding at all entry points where user-supplied data is processed, particularly for the identified parameters. The recommended approach involves implementing strict parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious input before it can be processed by the application. Additionally, proper HTML encoding of all output data ensures that any injected scripts are rendered harmless when displayed to users. Security patches from OpenText should be applied immediately to address the root cause, while network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining comprehensive input validation across all web application components and highlights the critical need for regular security assessments of enterprise content management systems to identify and remediate similar weaknesses before they can be exploited by adversaries.