CVE-2013-2583 in AppSuite
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Open-Xchange AppSuite and Server before 6.20.7 rev16, 6.22.0 before rev15, 6.22.1 before rev17, 7.0.1 before rev6, and 7.0.2 before rev7 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) a javascript: URL, (2) malformed nested SCRIPT elements, (3) a mail signature, or (4) JavaScript code within an image file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-2583 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Open-Xchange AppSuite and Server versions prior to specific revision thresholds. This vulnerability resides within the application's input validation and output encoding mechanisms, creating multiple attack vectors that could enable remote threat actors to execute malicious code within the context of a victim's browser session. The affected versions span across several major releases including 6.20.7, 6.22.0, 6.22.1, 7.0.1, and 7.0.2, indicating a widespread issue that affected a significant portion of the Open-Xchange user base during that period. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through four distinct methods that demonstrate the breadth of the security gap within the application's processing pipeline. The first vector involves javascript: URLs that bypass normal input sanitization, allowing attackers to inject executable code directly into web pages. The second method exploits malformed nested SCRIPT elements, which indicates a failure in proper HTML parsing and validation within the application's content handling mechanisms. The third vector targets mail signatures, suggesting that the vulnerability extends to user-generated content processing within email applications. The fourth attack method involves JavaScript code embedded within image files, highlighting a particularly sophisticated approach that leverages the application's handling of multimedia content. These attack vectors collectively demonstrate a fundamental weakness in the application's security architecture where multiple input sources are not properly sanitized or encoded before being rendered to end users.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-2583 extends far beyond simple XSS exploitation, as the vulnerability creates opportunities for session hijacking, data exfiltration, and potential privilege escalation within the Open-Xchange environment. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to steal user credentials, access sensitive email communications, manipulate calendar entries, and potentially gain unauthorized access to other system resources. The presence of multiple attack vectors increases the likelihood of successful exploitation, as attackers can choose the most appropriate method based on their target environment and available information. From an attacker's perspective, the vulnerability provides a persistent threat vector that could be used for prolonged surveillance or data manipulation activities. The vulnerability also impacts the overall trust and integrity of the Open-Xchange platform, potentially affecting business continuity and user confidence in the security of their communication systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates that address the specific revision thresholds mentioned in the CVE description. The security controls should include comprehensive input validation for all user-supplied content, proper output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security assessments of web application components. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and the attack methods correspond to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under web application attacks and credential access phases. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense layers. Regular security training for administrators and users can help identify potential exploitation attempts and reduce the likelihood of successful attacks. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that the patches do not introduce regressions in application functionality while maintaining the security improvements necessary to protect against these specific XSS vulnerabilities.