CVE-2012-2094 in horizon
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the refresh mechanism in the log viewer in horizon/static/horizon/js/horizon.js in OpenStack Dashboard (Horizon) folsom-1 and 2012.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the guest console.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2094 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the OpenStack Dashboard's horizon component, specifically affecting versions folsom-1 and 2012.1 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the log viewer functionality located at horizon/static/horizon/js/horizon.js, where the refresh mechanism fails to properly sanitize user input. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially compromising the entire dashboard environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the JavaScript code responsible for handling guest console refresh operations. When the dashboard processes console data from guest virtual machines, it fails to adequately sanitize the input before rendering it in the browser. This creates an avenue for attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the victim's browser context, leveraging the trusted relationship between the user and the dashboard application. The vulnerability specifically affects the refresh mechanism that handles console output, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered during routine monitoring activities.
The operational impact of this XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the dashboard environment. Given that OpenStack Dashboard serves as the primary administrative interface for cloud infrastructure management, successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical cloud resources, manipulate virtual machine configurations, or exfiltrate sensitive operational data. The vulnerability affects authenticated users who have access to the dashboard, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant cloud environments where multiple administrators interact with the system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2094 should focus on implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the dashboard's JavaScript components. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of OpenStack Horizon that address this vulnerability, as the affected versions are no longer supported. Additionally, implementing content security policies, disabling unnecessary JavaScript functionality, and conducting regular security audits of web applications can help prevent similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a common attack vector categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based execution. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of all user input handling mechanisms to ensure that similar sanitization gaps do not exist in other parts of the application.