CVE-2011-1510 in ServiceDesk Plus
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in SolutionSearch.do in ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus (SDP) before 8012 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the searchText parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1510 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus version 8011 and earlier releases. This vulnerability exists in the SolutionSearch.do component of the application, which serves as a core search functionality for managing service desk solutions and knowledge base articles. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing and rendering it within web responses. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads through the searchText parameter, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers who access the affected search results. The vulnerability specifically affects the web application's ability to distinguish between legitimate user input and potentially harmful script code, creating a persistent security risk that can be leveraged for various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which classifies cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is embedded into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw operates at the application layer where user input flows directly into the HTTP response without proper sanitization or encoding. When an attacker submits malicious content through the searchText parameter, the application processes this input without adequate validation, allowing HTML and JavaScript code to be stored and subsequently executed when other users browse the search results page. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be exploited across multiple user sessions and can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where ServiceDesk Plus serves as a central communication and ticketing platform. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate output encoding, which are fundamental security misconfigurations that violate secure coding principles and best practices established by security frameworks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass significant security implications for organizations using ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking attacks, steal user credentials, manipulate service desk data, and potentially escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers who simply need to access the search functionality and inject malicious payloads through the searchText parameter. In enterprise environments, this could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive service desk information, including ticket details, user data, and system configurations. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, attackers can maintain access and continue to execute malicious code against other users who view the compromised search results. This vulnerability particularly impacts organizations that rely heavily on ServiceDesk Plus for customer support and internal IT management, as it can compromise the integrity of the entire service desk ecosystem and potentially provide attackers with access to critical business information.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves applying the vendor-provided security patch for ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus version 8012 or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization at the application level can help prevent malicious code injection by filtering out or encoding potentially dangerous characters and script tags. Network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by monitoring and blocking suspicious requests containing known XSS patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies that restrict script execution and limit the potential impact of successful XSS attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, while user education regarding the risks of clicking suspicious links and the importance of maintaining updated software versions should be emphasized. These combined approaches align with the defense-in-depth strategy recommended by various security frameworks including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 standards for information security management.