CVE-2012-2446 in Netsweeper
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in tools/local_lookup.php in the WebAdmin Portal in Netsweeper allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the group parameter in a lookup action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2024
The CVE-2012-2446 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Netsweeper WebAdmin Portal's local lookup functionality. This vulnerability exists in the tools/local_lookup.php file where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. The specific attack vector involves the group parameter within a lookup action, making it accessible to remote attackers who can manipulate this parameter to inject malicious scripts. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before it is processed and displayed within the web interface.
This XSS vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent web application security flaws. The attack occurs when the application fails to validate or sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. In the context of Netsweeper's WebAdmin Portal, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized access to administrative functions or data exfiltration. The group parameter serves as the injection point where an attacker can embed malicious JavaScript code that gets executed when other users view the results of the lookup action.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges within the WebAdmin Portal environment. Remote attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to administrative controls, modify configuration settings, or extract sensitive information from the Netsweeper system. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on Netsweeper for web content filtering and security management, as successful exploitation could compromise the entire filtering infrastructure. Additionally, the attack requires minimal technical expertise, making it a significant risk for organizations with less sophisticated security monitoring capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2446 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the affected application components. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed, with particular attention to parameters like the group field in the local lookup functionality. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which covers Data from Information Repositories, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive administrative data and system configurations. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious parameter values that may indicate attempted exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.