CVE-2013-0283 in Katello
Summary
by MITRE
Katello: Username in Notification page has cross site scripting
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0283 affects Katello, a Red Hat product designed for managing Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems. This issue manifests as a cross-site scripting vulnerability on the notification page where user-provided username data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the web interface. The flaw exists in the way the system processes and displays user input, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to inject arbitrary javascript code through the username field.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the Katello notification system. When users create notifications or when system-generated notifications display user information, the username parameter is directly embedded into the HTML response without proper sanitization. This allows attackers to craft malicious usernames containing javascript payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers who view the notification page.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant security risks to organizations using Katello for system management. An attacker who can influence the username field of a notification can potentially execute malicious scripts in the browsers of other users, leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised systems. The impact is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where multiple administrators interact with the Katello interface, as a single compromised notification could affect numerous users.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This weakness enables attackers to bypass access controls and execute unauthorized commands in the victim's browser context. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for code injection, specifically targeting the web application layer where user input is improperly handled. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack surface that includes other web application security issues such as improper input validation and insufficient output encoding.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-0283 require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. System administrators should ensure that all user-provided data, particularly in notification fields, undergoes strict validation and encoding before being rendered in web interfaces. This includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content and establishing robust input validation rules that reject potentially malicious payloads. Additionally, organizations should apply the vendor-provided security patches and updates as soon as they become available to address this specific vulnerability in their Katello deployments.