CVE-2013-4845 in Officejet Pro
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability on HP Officejet Pro 8500 (aka A909) All-in-One printers allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2021
The CVE-2013-4845 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in HP Officejet Pro 8500 series all-in-one printers, specifically affecting the A909 model and potentially other variants within the product line. This vulnerability resides within the web-based management interface of these network-connected devices, which are commonly deployed in corporate and enterprise environments where printer security often remains overlooked despite their critical role in business operations. The affected devices expose a web server component that processes user input without proper sanitization, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of a user's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the printer's web interface components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are submitted through unspecified vectors, which typically involve web forms, URL parameters, or HTTP headers that the printer's web server processes. The lack of proper sanitization means that any user-supplied data can be rendered back to the browser without adequate escaping or encoding, allowing malicious scripts to execute in the context of the victim's session. This flaw aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly handled during web page generation, and follows the ATT&CK technique T1566 for social engineering through web-based attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-4845 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, and potentially redirect users to malicious sites. In enterprise environments where these printers are connected to internal networks, attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access points or use the compromised device as a launching platform for further attacks against network resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects networked printing solutions that are often configured with minimal security hardening, and users may not expect such devices to present web-based attack surfaces. This represents a significant deviation from traditional network security assumptions where network printers were considered low-risk endpoints.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4845 should focus on immediate remediation through firmware updates provided by HP, which would address the underlying input validation issues. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical internal systems, disable unnecessary web services when not required, and deploy network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, security awareness training should emphasize that networked devices, including printers, can serve as attack vectors and require proper security configurations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date device firmware and conducting regular security assessments of all network-connected equipment, as these devices often operate with minimal oversight and can become persistent threats if not properly secured.