CVE-2013-4703 in Cybozu Office
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the top-page customization feature in Cybozu Office before 9.3.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2018
The CVE-2013-4703 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Cybozu Office platform's top-page customization functionality. This security weakness existed in versions prior to 9.3.1 and enabled malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability specifically targeted the application's user interface customization features, which allowed administrators or authorized users to modify the main dashboard and interface elements. The flaw emerged from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the customization framework, creating an attack surface where malicious payloads could be injected through unspecified vectors within the web application's interaction model.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from the platform's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within the web interface. When users interacted with the top-page customization feature, the application did not adequately escape or validate input parameters, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that would execute in the browser context of other users. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant where malicious code persists in the application's database or configuration files. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the privileged nature of the customization feature, which typically requires administrative or high-privilege access, potentially enabling attackers to escalate their privileges or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using Cybozu Office platforms, as it could enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary commands within the application context. The attack vector typically involves an attacker gaining access to the customization interface through legitimate administrative credentials or by exploiting other vulnerabilities to elevate privileges. Once the malicious script is injected, it executes whenever other users view the customized page, creating a persistent threat that can compromise multiple user sessions. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting web-based command execution through browser-based attacks.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including immediate patching to version 9.3.1 or later, which addresses the input validation and output encoding deficiencies. Additional protective measures include implementing strict content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution, deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting regular security assessments of web application interfaces. Security teams should also enforce principle of least privilege access controls for customization features, implement robust input validation at multiple layers, and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous user activities within the application. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating and sanitizing all user inputs, particularly in features that modify application interfaces, as these areas often represent high-value attack targets due to their privileged nature and broad user exposure.