CVE-2012-6272 in OpenManage Server Administrator
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Dell OpenManage Server Administrator 6.5.0.1, 7.0.0.1, and 7.1.0.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the topic parameter to html/index_main.htm in (1) help/sm/en/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, (2) help/sm/es/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, (3) help/sm/ja/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, (4) help/sm/de/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, (5) help/sm/fr/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, (6) help/sm/zh/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, (7) help/hip/en/msgguide/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, or (8) help/hip/en/msgguide/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2012-6272 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Dell OpenManage Server Administrator versions 6.5.0.1, 7.0.0.1, and 7.1.0.1 that affects multiple language-specific help documentation components. This vulnerability resides within the web help system implementation where the topic parameter in various help file paths fails to properly sanitize user input, creating an avenue for remote code execution through malicious script injection.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of user-supplied data within the web help framework of Dell OpenManage Server Administrator. When users navigate to help documentation pages through the specified paths including help/sm/en/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, help/sm/es/Output/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/, and other language-specific directories, the topic parameter becomes vulnerable to injection attacks. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize input data, specifically affecting web applications that process user-supplied parameters without proper validation or encoding mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a victim's browser session. An attacker could craft malicious URLs with specially formatted topic parameters that would be rendered in the help interface, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The multi-language nature of the vulnerability increases its attack surface as it affects help documentation in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, French, and Chinese languages, making it particularly dangerous for global enterprise deployments.
This vulnerability directly relates to the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting web-based scripting environments. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious URLs that leverage the XSS flaw to inject JavaScript code into the help system's output, which then executes in the victim's browser when they access the affected help documentation. The vulnerability affects the web application layer of Dell OpenManage Server Administrator, which operates as a web-based management interface for server hardware monitoring and configuration.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious input, and conducting thorough security assessments of the help documentation components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in management interfaces that provide extensive help and documentation functionality. System administrators should also consider restricting access to help documentation components when possible and implementing strict content security policies to prevent script execution in web interfaces.