CVE-2012-4938 in Pattern Insight
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web interface in Pattern Insight 2.3 allows remote authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the banner message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2025
The CVE-2012-4938 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Pattern Insight 2.3 web interface that specifically targets authenticated administrative users. This vulnerability resides in the banner message functionality, which serves as a configurable display element within the application's user interface. The flaw allows malicious administrators with valid credentials to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code that will be executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected interface. This creates a dangerous escalation path where a compromised administrative account can be leveraged to execute malicious code against other users who interact with the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the banner message handling component. When administrators configure banner messages through the web interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before rendering it in the browser context. This omission creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can execute in the victim's browser session. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated administrators, meaning that an attacker must first compromise an administrative account or gain legitimate access to the system before exploiting this flaw. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it operates through the legitimate administrative interface, making it difficult to distinguish from normal administrative activity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to perform session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. When malicious scripts execute in users' browsers, they can access session cookies, capture keystrokes, redirect users to malicious sites, or steal sensitive information from the Pattern Insight application. The vulnerability affects the entire administrative web interface, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges, modify system configurations, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. Given that Pattern Insight is designed for security monitoring and analysis, this vulnerability could enable attackers to hide their activities from the very system designed to detect them, creating a sophisticated attack scenario where the compromised system becomes a staging ground for further exploitation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and regular security audits of the web interface components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and follows attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for command and scripting interpreter. Administrators should enforce strict input validation on all user-supplied data, particularly in configurable interface elements like banner messages, and implement proper output encoding to prevent script execution. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls, monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, and conducting regular security assessments of their web interfaces to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include updating to patched versions of Pattern Insight and ensuring that all administrative accounts maintain strong authentication controls to prevent unauthorized access that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability.