CVE-2011-3344 in Spacewalk
Summary
by MITRE
A flaw was found in Spacewalk. A remote attacker can exploit a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Lookup Login/Password form by injecting arbitrary web script or HTML via the URI. This can lead to information disclosure or unauthorized actions within the user's browser session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3344 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Spacewalk system, a Red Hat enterprise management platform designed for system lifecycle management and monitoring. This vulnerability specifically affects the Lookup Login/Password form component, which serves as an authentication interface for users seeking to recover or access their account credentials. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the web application's URI parameter handling, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts through the URI parameters of the lookup form, leveraging the fundamental weakness in how the application processes and renders user-supplied input. When a victim navigates to a specially crafted URI containing malicious script code, the application fails to properly sanitize the input before displaying it within the browser context. This creates a persistent XSS vector where the injected code executes within the victim's browser session, potentially compromising the integrity of the user's interaction with the Spacewalk interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions within the user's browser session. The exploitation can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive system information. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to capture user authentication tokens, modify session data, or redirect users to malicious websites. The consequences are particularly severe in enterprise environments where Spacewalk is used for critical system management, as compromised sessions can provide attackers with elevated privileges and access to sensitive infrastructure monitoring data.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as one of the most prevalent web application security weaknesses. The ATT&CK framework would classify this as a technique under T1059.007 for Scripting, with potential lateral movement opportunities through T1531 for Account Access Removal if credential theft occurs. Organizations using Spacewalk systems face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where multiple users interact with the platform and where sensitive system information is accessible through the management interface. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, especially in enterprise management systems where the attack surface directly correlates with the potential for system compromise.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the Spacewalk application, particularly within the URI parameter handling components. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied input is properly sanitized and validated before being processed or rendered within the browser context. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper HTTP response headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against XSS exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and penetration testing of the Spacewalk platform should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, system administrators should implement network-level controls and monitoring to detect suspicious URI patterns and potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust web application security practices to protect enterprise management platforms from sophisticated attack vectors.