CVE-2013-1880 in ActiveMQ
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Portfolio publisher servlet in the demo web application in Apache ActiveMQ before 5.9.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the refresh parameter to demo/portfolioPublish, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-6092.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-1880 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the Portfolio publisher servlet of Apache ActiveMQ's demo web application. This issue affects versions prior to 5.9.0 and specifically targets the demo/portfolioPublish endpoint where the refresh parameter serves as the attack vector. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a critical weakness allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications viewed by other users. This particular flaw demonstrates how demo applications within enterprise software can expose security risks even when the core product remains secure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of user input within the Portfolio publisher servlet. When the refresh parameter is passed to the demo/portfolioPublish endpoint, the application fails to adequately sanitize or escape the input before incorporating it into the web response. This allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by anyone who can access the vulnerable demo application. The flaw is categorized as a reflected XSS vulnerability since the malicious payload is reflected back to users through the web application's response.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. In the context of Apache ActiveMQ, this vulnerability could potentially allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to the messaging system or compromise the security of the entire application stack. The vulnerability affects the demo web application specifically, which means that organizations running ActiveMQ in production environments may not be immediately impacted if they do not expose the demo components. However, the presence of such vulnerabilities in demo applications often indicates broader security gaps in the overall software architecture and deployment practices.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Apache ActiveMQ version 5.9.0 or later where this vulnerability has been resolved. The fix typically involves proper input validation and output encoding of user-supplied parameters before they are rendered in web responses. Additionally, administrators should disable or remove demo applications from production environments and ensure that all web applications undergo proper security testing including input validation checks and XSS prevention measures. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which covers data from information repositories and demonstrates how web application flaws can be exploited to compromise user sessions and access sensitive data. The vulnerability also reinforces the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper security controls in all application components, including demonstration and testing environments that may be exposed to external users.