CVE-2013-5005 in Tripwire
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ajaxRequest/methodCall.do in Tripwire Enterprise 8.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) m_target_class_name, (2) m_target_method_name, or (3) m_request_context_params parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5005 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Tripwire Enterprise 8.2 and earlier versions, specifically affecting the ajaxRequest/methodCall.do endpoint. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter user-supplied data before processing and rendering within web responses. The vulnerability manifests through three distinct parameter vectors including m_target_class_name, m_target_method_name, and m_request_context_params, all of which can be manipulated by remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated users.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates as a classic reflected cross-site scripting attack where malicious input is accepted through the web application's interface and subsequently reflected back to users without proper sanitization. The flaw resides in the application's failure to implement proper output encoding or input validation controls when processing the specified parameters. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious JavaScript code, HTML content, or other harmful payloads that will execute in the browsers of unsuspecting victims who interact with the affected application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects authenticated users within the Tripwire Enterprise environment, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or access sensitive system information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, manipulate data, or redirect users to malicious websites. Within the context of Tripwire Enterprise, which is designed for security monitoring and compliance management, this vulnerability creates a significant risk to the integrity of the security infrastructure. An attacker could potentially exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to security event data, manipulate monitoring configurations, or compromise the overall security posture of the organization. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the application's AJAX request handling mechanism, which is fundamental to the user interface operations.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The attack pattern follows typical XSS exploitation techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for script injection. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization for all user-supplied data. The recommended remediation involves updating to Tripwire Enterprise versions that address this vulnerability, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting comprehensive security testing of all input vectors. Additionally, organizations should review their existing security policies and ensure proper user training to prevent social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability.