CVE-2011-0286 in BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in webdesktop/app in the BlackBerry Web Desktop Manager component in Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) software before 5.0.2 MR5 and 5.0.3 before MR1, and BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express software 5.0.1 and 5.0.2, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the displayErrorMessage parameter in a ManageDevices action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2011-0286 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the BlackBerry Web Desktop Manager component of Research In Motion's BlackBerry Enterprise Server software ecosystem. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to the designated security patches, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors targeting enterprise mobile device management systems. The flaw resides in the webdesktop/app module where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web responses, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the displayErrorMessage parameter within the ManageDevices action of the web interface. When an attacker crafts a malicious payload and injects it into this parameter, the server processes the input without adequate validation or sanitization mechanisms. This allows the injected script to execute in the victim's browser when the affected page is rendered, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further malicious activities. The vulnerability is classified as a classic reflected XSS attack pattern where the malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper encoding or escaping.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to enterprise security environments that rely on BlackBerry Enterprise Server for mobile device management. Attackers could leverage this flaw to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, access sensitive corporate data, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially affect entire enterprise networks, especially considering that BlackBerry Enterprise Server serves as a central management platform for corporate mobile devices. Organizations using affected versions face significant exposure to credential theft and privilege escalation attacks that could lead to complete system compromise.
The vulnerability demonstrates a clear violation of security best practices regarding input validation and output encoding, aligning with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection, as attackers could execute malicious scripts within the browser context of authenticated users. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected BlackBerry Enterprise Server versions to the recommended security updates, implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns, and enhanced monitoring for suspicious parameter manipulation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as content security policies and regular security assessments of their mobile device management infrastructure to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of their enterprise security ecosystem.