CVE-2013-4181 in Enterprise Virtualization
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the addAlert function in the RedirectServlet servlet in oVirt Engine and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager (RHEV-M), as used in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 3 and 3.2, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2022
The cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4181 resides within the oVirt Engine and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization Manager platforms, specifically in the RedirectServlet servlet's addAlert function. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected systems. The vulnerability affects Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization versions 3 and 3.2, which are widely deployed virtualization management solutions used in enterprise environments. The issue stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the alert handling mechanism of the redirect servlet, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject persistent script code that executes when other users view affected pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the addAlert function within the RedirectServlet component, which processes alert notifications and redirects users to specific pages. When the servlet receives user-supplied data through unspecified vectors, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the input before incorporating it into the response. This lack of input validation creates a condition where attackers can inject malicious payloads that are subsequently executed by victim browsers. The vulnerability manifests as a classic XSS flaw where the malicious code can be stored server-side and executed whenever legitimate users access the affected application interface. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple input points within the servlet may be susceptible to this injection attack, potentially including parameters passed through HTTP requests or user interface elements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the compromised virtualization environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, modify interface elements, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft or privilege escalation within the virtualization management platform. The implications are particularly severe given that oVirt Engine and RHEV-M are used for managing enterprise virtualized environments, where these systems often contain sensitive data and administrative controls. The vulnerability compromises the integrity of the user interface and can potentially lead to unauthorized access to virtual machines, storage resources, and other critical infrastructure components managed through these platforms. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can undermine the security posture of entire virtualization deployments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4181 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the affected servlet components. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input passed to the addAlert function is properly sanitized and validated before processing. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security updates and patches from Red Hat should be applied immediately upon availability, as this vulnerability was addressed through official releases. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests, conduct regular security assessments of the virtualization management interfaces, and establish proper access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that all input vectors are properly protected and that the fix does not introduce regressions in system functionality.