CVE-2011-1716 in Xymon
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Web UI in Xymon before 4.3.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1716 represents a critical security flaw in the Xymon monitoring system's web user interface. Xymon is a widely used network monitoring and alerting tool that provides real-time visibility into system performance and network health. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 4.3.1 and manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that can be exploited by remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into the affected system's web interface. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into web page content.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web UI components of Xymon. Attackers can leverage this weakness through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulation of parameters or input fields within the web interface. The lack of proper sanitization allows malicious payloads to be executed in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the monitoring system. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the monitoring environment, as it enables attackers to compromise the web interface and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive network monitoring data and system configurations.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1716 extends beyond simple script injection, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model of the Xymon monitoring system. Organizations relying on Xymon for critical infrastructure monitoring face significant risks including potential data exfiltration, unauthorized system modifications, and disruption of monitoring services. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network privileges to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such systems are often exposed to external networks. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Spearphishing Attachments and T1071.001 for Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as it exploits web-based interfaces to establish malicious presence within the network monitoring infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Xymon version 4.3.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address these vulnerabilities. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation at the web application level, enabling output encoding for all dynamic content, and deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious requests. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of all web interfaces within their monitoring infrastructure to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure proper input sanitization practices are in place. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to verify that the patches do not introduce compatibility issues with existing monitoring configurations while ensuring that all user input is properly validated and sanitized before processing.