CVE-2011-4615 in Zabbix
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Zabbix before 1.8.10 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the gname parameter (aka host groups name) to (1) hostgroups.php and (2) usergrps.php, the update action to (3) hosts.php and (4) scripts.php, and (5) maintenance.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2021
The CVE-2011-4615 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Zabbix monitoring software versions prior to 1.8.10. This vulnerability resides in the web interface components of the system and allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated users' browsers. The flaw specifically targets the gname parameter, which is used to define host group names in the monitoring system, creating a persistent vector for malicious code injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability spans multiple PHP files within the Zabbix web application including hostgroups.php, usergrps.php, hosts.php, scripts.php, and maintenance.php. Attackers can exploit these weaknesses by crafting malicious payloads and injecting them through the gname parameter during various administrative operations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects core administrative functions where users might have elevated privileges, potentially allowing attackers to escalate their access and compromise the entire monitoring infrastructure.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations relying on Zabbix for system monitoring and management. When exploited, the XSS attacks could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized administrative actions, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability's presence in maintenance.php and host management functions means that attackers could potentially disrupt monitoring operations or gain access to sensitive system information. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of input validation and demonstrates poor sanitization of user-supplied data within the web application.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-79: Cross-site Scripting and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001: Phishing via Social Engineering, as it enables attackers to craft malicious web content that appears legitimate to system administrators. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Zabbix face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to monitoring systems, and possible lateral movement within their networks. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Zabbix is commonly used for critical infrastructure monitoring, making the compromise of such systems potentially devastating. The vulnerability also demonstrates weaknesses in the application's security architecture, particularly in how it handles user input in administrative interfaces.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Zabbix version 1.8.10 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, deploying web application firewalls, and conducting regular security assessments of monitoring systems. Security teams should also monitor for suspicious activities in Zabbix logs and ensure that administrative accounts have proper access controls and authentication mechanisms in place to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.