CVE-2013-2290 in ArubaOS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the dashboard of the ArubaOS Administration WebUI in Aruba Networks ArubaOS 6.2.x before 6.2.0.3, 6.1.3.x before 6.1.3.7, 6.1.x-FIPS before 6.1.4.3-FIPS, and 6.1.x-AirGroup before 6.1.3.6-AirGroup, as used by Mobility Controller, allows remote wireless access points to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted SSID.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2022
The CVE-2013-2290 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the ArubaOS Administration WebUI dashboard interface. This vulnerability specifically affects multiple versions of ArubaOS including 6.2.x before 6.2.0.3, 6.1.3.x before 6.1.3.7, 6.1.x-FIPS before 6.1.4.3-FIPS, and 6.1.x-AirGroup before 6.1.3.6-AirGroup implementations. The flaw resides in how the Mobility Controller processes and displays SSID information within its administrative dashboard, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it allows remote wireless access points to inject malicious content, effectively bypassing traditional network security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the web interface's handling of SSID parameters. When the Mobility Controller processes SSID data from wireless access points, it fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This weakness creates a persistent XSS vector where an attacker-controlled wireless access point can craft a malicious SSID containing embedded script tags or other malicious payloads. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 - Cross-site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security flaw that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent security risks in web applications according to the OWASP Top Ten. The attack surface is expanded by the fact that wireless access points are often deployed in untrusted environments where physical access or network compromise may be feasible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to manipulate the administrative dashboard in potentially devastating ways. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to sensitive network configuration data, modify administrative settings, or even redirect users to malicious websites that appear to be legitimate administrative interfaces. The Mobility Controller's role as a central network management device makes this particularly dangerous, as it could allow attackers to compromise the entire wireless infrastructure. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it enables the execution of malicious JavaScript code through crafted wireless network parameters. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that any wireless access point that connects to the network with a maliciously crafted SSID could potentially maintain access to the administrative interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-2290 should focus on immediate patching of affected ArubaOS versions to the latest secure releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate wireless access points from critical administrative systems where possible, and consider deploying network access control measures that can detect and prevent malicious SSID injection attempts. Input validation should be strengthened at the Mobility Controller level to ensure all SSID data is properly sanitized before display in the administrative dashboard. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual SSID patterns that might indicate malicious injection attempts, and administrators should regularly audit wireless network configurations to identify potentially compromised access points. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive web application security controls including Content Security Policy headers and proper output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in future deployments. Organizations should also consider implementing network-wide wireless intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious wireless access point behavior and alert administrators to potential exploitation attempts.