CVE-2013-1885 in Dogtag Certificate System
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the token processing system (pki-tps) in Red Hat Certificate System (RHCS) 8.1 and possibly Dogtag Certificate System 9 and 10 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the PATH_INFO to (1) tus/ or (2) tus/tus/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1885 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the token processing system of Red Hat Certificate System version 8.1 and potentially affecting Dogtag Certificate System versions 9 and 10. This flaw resides in the pki-tps component which handles token processing operations within certificate management infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes PATH_INFO parameters through two distinct endpoints: tus/ and tus/tus/. These endpoints serve as interfaces for token upload services within the certificate system architecture, making them prime targets for malicious exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the token processing pipeline. When remote attackers craft malicious requests containing specially formatted PATH_INFO parameters, the system fails to properly escape or filter these inputs before incorporating them into web responses. This processing gap creates an environment where attacker-controlled scripts can be executed within the context of authenticated users' browsers, effectively bypassing standard security boundaries. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the token processing layer, which typically requires elevated privileges and handles sensitive certificate-related operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-1885 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and privilege escalation within the certificate management environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that capture user credentials, redirect users to phishing sites, or manipulate certificate operations. Given that the affected systems handle certificate authority functions and token processing, successful exploitation could compromise the entire certificate infrastructure, potentially affecting thousands of certificates and trust relationships. The vulnerability affects systems where users have access to the token upload endpoints, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where certificate management systems are extensively utilized.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to the latest available versions of Red Hat Certificate System and Dogtag Certificate System. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms at all entry points, particularly within the PATH_INFO handling components. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of token processing endpoints to untrusted networks. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks, while regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in related systems. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and represents a classic example of how insecure input handling can lead to severe privilege escalation and data compromise in certificate management systems. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious PATH_INFO patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.