CVE-2013-3501 in GroundWork Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in GroundWork Monitor Enterprise 6.7.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to (1) the foundation-webapp/admin/ directory, (2) the NeDi component, or (3) the Noma component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2024
The CVE-2013-3501 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting GroundWork Monitor Enterprise version 6.7.0, a comprehensive network monitoring and management platform widely deployed in enterprise environments. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as improper neutralization of input during web page generation, creating a persistent security risk that allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability manifests across three distinct attack vectors within the application's architecture, specifically targeting the foundation-webapp/admin/ directory, the NeDi component responsible for network discovery and monitoring, and the Noma component handling network operations management. These components form integral parts of the platform's administrative interface and network management capabilities, making the attack surface particularly dangerous for organizations relying on GroundWork's monitoring infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the injection of malicious web script or HTML code into input fields or parameters that are subsequently rendered in web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting specially crafted payloads that bypass the application's input validation mechanisms, allowing their malicious code to execute when legitimate users view affected pages. The attack vectors span multiple components within the application's architecture, indicating a systemic issue in input handling and output encoding practices across the platform's codebase. The NeDi component, which performs network discovery and monitoring functions, and the Noma component, which handles network operations management, are particularly susceptible due to their extensive interaction with user-provided data and network information. The foundation-webapp/admin/ directory serves as a primary administrative interface where privileged users interact with the system, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for organizations.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-3501 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive authentication tokens, and access privileged administrative functions within the GroundWork Monitor Enterprise environment. Successful exploitation could allow threat actors to gain unauthorized access to network monitoring data, potentially compromising the integrity of network infrastructure visibility and operational security. Organizations utilizing GroundWork Monitor Enterprise may experience unauthorized access to critical network monitoring information, including device configurations, network topology data, and performance metrics that are typically protected within the administrative interface. The vulnerability's presence across multiple components suggests a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture rather than isolated code issues, potentially leaving the entire platform exposed to persistent attacks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where attackers can leverage XSS to execute malicious scripts that may establish persistence within the monitored environment.
Organizations affected by CVE-2013-3501 should prioritize immediate remediation through vendor-provided patches or updates to address the XSS vulnerabilities across all three affected components. The mitigation strategy should include implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase, particularly in areas handling user-provided data within the administrative interface and network management components. Security measures should incorporate Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution, and regular security assessments should verify that all input fields and parameters are properly sanitized. Additionally, organizations should consider network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability's impact extends to both authenticated and unauthenticated attack scenarios. The remediation process should follow industry standards including OWASP Top Ten security practices and NIST cybersecurity guidelines to ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities in the future.