CVE-2011-2400 in SiteScope
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HP SiteScope 9.x, 10.x, and 11.x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2400 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting HP SiteScope versions 9.x, 10.x, and 11.x. This security weakness resides within the web interface of the monitoring and management platform, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious scripts against unsuspecting users who interact with the affected system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web components, allowing attackers to inject malicious code through unspecified vectors that typically involve user-controllable parameters or data fields.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability demonstrates a classic weakness in web application security where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. The affected HP SiteScope versions likely process user inputs through various web forms, configuration parameters, or API endpoints that fail to adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through multiple attack vectors including reflected XSS, stored XSS, or DOM-based XSS depending on how the input is processed and rendered within the application's user interface. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in software applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2400 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code within the context of authenticated users' browsers. This could enable session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, or the execution of malicious payloads that compromise the entire user session. Given that HP SiteScope is typically deployed in enterprise environments for critical infrastructure monitoring, the exploitation of this vulnerability could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive monitoring data, potentially leading to the exposure of network configurations, system credentials, or operational details that could be leveraged for further attacks within the enterprise network. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it affects multiple versions of the software, indicating a widespread vulnerability that could impact numerous enterprise systems.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding measures to prevent malicious code injection. The recommended approach involves implementing proper HTML escaping for all user-supplied content before rendering it in web pages, utilizing Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution, and ensuring that all input fields undergo strict sanitization processes. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests, conduct regular security assessments of the SiteScope installations, and ensure that all systems are updated with the latest security patches from HP. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics involving malicious code injection, and represents a significant risk to enterprise security posture particularly in environments where SiteScope is used for monitoring critical infrastructure components.