CVE-2011-3830 in Support Incident Tracker
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.php in Support Incident Tracker (aka SiT!) 3.65 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search_string parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3830 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Support Incident Tracker (SiT!) version 3.65 web application. This issue resides in the search.php script where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. The vulnerability specifically affects the search_string parameter which processes user queries without adequate validation or encoding mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious script code through the search interface, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the search results. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it leverages legitimate application functionality to deliver malicious payloads, making detection and prevention more challenging for security teams.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal prerequisites and can be executed through simple HTTP requests containing crafted script tags or javascript code within the search_string parameter. When the vulnerable application processes this input and displays it in the search results page without proper HTML escaping or sanitization, the malicious code becomes part of the page's DOM structure. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary javascript in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The impact is amplified because SiT! is a support ticketing system that likely handles sensitive information, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for organizations relying on the application for incident management and customer support operations.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script execution to encompass broader security risks within enterprise environments. Organizations using SiT! version 3.65 face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to support tickets, and exposure of sensitive customer information. The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible support portals. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a low-hanging fruit vulnerability that can be quickly identified and exploited through automated scanning tools. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate output encoding, which are fundamental security principles that should be implemented at every layer of web application development. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content, and can contribute to subsequent techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation through session manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3830 should focus on immediate input sanitization and output encoding measures. Organizations must implement proper HTML escaping for all user-supplied content before rendering it in web pages, particularly within search result displays. The most effective immediate fix involves updating the search.php script to sanitize the search_string parameter using appropriate encoding functions such as htmlspecialchars() in php applications. Additionally, implementing content security policies can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. Organizations should also consider upgrading to newer versions of SiT! that have addressed this vulnerability, as version 3.65 is significantly outdated and likely contains other unpatched security flaws. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output encoding practices, which are fundamental requirements of secure coding standards and should be integrated into all development lifecycle processes.