CVE-2011-2410 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 attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2021
The CVE-2011-2410 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in HP OpenView Performance Insight versions 5.3 through 5.41.002, constituting a significant security weakness that exposes organizations to potential remote code execution and data theft risks. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically affects HP OpenView Performance Insight, a comprehensive performance monitoring and management solution designed for enterprise environments, making it particularly concerning given the sensitive nature of performance data and system monitoring information that such tools typically handle.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the HP OpenView Performance Insight web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious HTML or JavaScript code through unspecified vectors within the application's user input fields, form submissions, or parameter handling mechanisms. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects multiple versions of the software, indicating a persistent flaw in the application's architecture rather than a one-time coding error. This XSS vulnerability enables attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially allowing for session hijacking, data exfiltration, or redirection to malicious sites. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw may exist across multiple input points within the application, making it particularly challenging to fully assess and mitigate.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of performance monitoring data that HP OpenView Performance Insight typically handles. Organizations relying on this software for critical infrastructure monitoring face significant risks, as attackers could potentially manipulate performance dashboards, inject false performance metrics, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive monitoring information. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system or network, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such monitoring tools are accessible over the internet or internal networks. This weakness can enable attackers to establish persistent access points within monitored environments, potentially leading to broader compromise of the underlying infrastructure and systems being monitored.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2410 should focus on immediate patching of affected HP OpenView Performance Insight versions, as HP would have released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms, including proper HTML escaping and sanitization of all user-supplied data before rendering in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution sources and preventing unauthorized code injection. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the vulnerable application to untrusted networks. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious input patterns and anomalous behavior in the performance monitoring interface. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1566 for Phishing, as attackers may leverage this weakness to deliver malicious payloads through web-based attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to provide an additional layer of protection against XSS exploitation attempts, while conducting thorough security assessments to identify any other potential input validation weaknesses within their monitoring and management tools.