CVE-2011-4035 in Citectscada Reports
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Schneider Electric Vijeo Historian 4.30 and earlier, CitectHistorian 4.30 and earlier, and CitectSCADAReports 4.10 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2018
The CVE-2011-4035 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Schneider Electric's industrial automation software suite, specifically targeting Vijeo Historian 4.30 and earlier versions, CitectHistorian 4.30 and earlier, and CitectSCADAReports 4.10 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the web-based interfaces of these industrial control system components, which are commonly deployed in critical infrastructure environments including power generation, water treatment, and manufacturing facilities. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of affected web applications, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of industrial control systems. The vulnerability's presence in industrial software ecosystems is particularly concerning as these systems often operate in closed networks but may still be accessible through web interfaces for monitoring and reporting purposes.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the web interfaces of these industrial applications. Attackers can exploit unspecified vectors to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code into web pages that are subsequently rendered for legitimate users. This injection typically occurs through parameters or fields that accept user input without proper sanitization mechanisms. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The weakness manifests when the application fails to properly encode or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-4035 extends beyond traditional web application security concerns due to its deployment in industrial control environments. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive operational data, manipulate reporting functions, or even redirect users to malicious sites that could further compromise industrial systems. The attack surface includes not only direct web interface access but also potential secondary impacts through social engineering attacks that might leverage the injected scripts to harvest credentials or system information. This vulnerability poses significant risk to industrial environments where these applications are used for process monitoring, historical data analysis, and reporting functions that often contain sensitive operational information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected software versions to address the underlying input validation flaws. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to these web interfaces, ensuring that only authorized personnel can reach the vulnerable components. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts, conducting regular security assessments of industrial web applications, and establishing secure coding practices for custom web interfaces within industrial control systems. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of applying security patches promptly in industrial environments where legacy software may not receive regular updates. Organizations should consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect suspicious activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This case demonstrates the critical need for security awareness in industrial environments where software vulnerabilities can have cascading impacts on operational technology infrastructure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the web application attack surface, where adversaries may leverage such flaws to establish persistence or escalate privileges within industrial control systems.