CVE-2012-4600 in OTRS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) Help Desk 2.4.x before 2.4.14, 3.0.x before 3.0.16, and 3.1.x before 3.1.10, when Firefox or Opera is used, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an e-mail message body with nested HTML tags.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2025
The CVE-2012-4600 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) Help Desk platform, affecting multiple version branches including 2.4.x prior to 2.4.14, 3.0.x prior to 3.0.16, and 3.1.x prior to 3.1.10. This vulnerability specifically exploits the system's handling of email message bodies when processed through Firefox or Opera browsers, creating a persistent security risk that enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within OTRS's email processing pipeline. When email messages containing nested HTML tags are received and processed by the system, the application fails to properly escape or filter potentially malicious content before rendering it in the user interface. This improper handling creates an XSS vector where attackers can craft specially formatted email messages that, when viewed by authenticated users, execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the trust relationship between the user and the application, allowing attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and potentially escalate their privileges or steal session cookies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, manipulate data within the help desk system, or redirect users to malicious websites. Given that OTRS is commonly used for customer support and internal help desk operations, the attack surface is significant, particularly in environments where users have administrative privileges or access to sensitive customer data. The fact that the vulnerability is browser-specific, affecting Firefox and Opera but not other browsers, suggests the exploit may be related to how these browsers handle certain HTML rendering behaviors or JavaScript execution contexts within the application's user interface.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, and aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for spearphishing with embedded content and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter. The attack chain typically involves an attacker sending a malicious email with nested HTML tags to a legitimate OTRS user, who then views the message within the vulnerable system, triggering the XSS payload. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching to address the underlying input validation issues, implement proper HTML sanitization of email content, and consider network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious email content patterns. Additionally, security awareness training for users can help reduce the risk of successful exploitation through social engineering vectors that might accompany such attacks.