CVE-2011-2406 in OpenView Performance Insight
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HP OpenView Performance Insight 5.3, 5.31, 5.4, 5.41, 5.41.001, and 5.41.002 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2021
The CVE-2011-2406 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple versions of HP OpenView Performance Insight software. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative interface of the application, creating a persistent security weakness that can be exploited by authenticated attackers who possess valid credentials. The flaw manifests as an insufficient input validation mechanism that fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages, thereby enabling malicious script execution in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability impacts versions 5.3 through 5.41.002, indicating a prolonged period of exposure across the product lifecycle.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of input parameters within the application's web interface components. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that exploit the application's failure to properly escape or validate user input before displaying it in web responses. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple entry points within the application's interface may be susceptible to this type of injection attack, potentially including form fields, URL parameters, or other user-controllable input mechanisms. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a result of insufficient input validation and output encoding in web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2406 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as authenticated users can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser context. This capability enables attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of legitimate users, access sensitive data, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability's authentication requirement reduces its attack surface compared to unauthenticated XSS flaws, but it remains particularly dangerous in environments where privileged accounts exist. Attackers could potentially escalate privileges by compromising administrator sessions or gaining access to sensitive system information. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which describes the use of script-based attacks to execute malicious code in web browsers.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from HP, implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and conducting thorough security assessments of the affected application. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help reduce the potential impact if an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability. Regular security monitoring and log analysis should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, while user education regarding suspicious web content can provide additional defense layers. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing robust input validation practices as recommended in OWASP Top Ten security guidelines.