CVE-2013-6175 in Document Sciences xPression
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in EMC Document Sciences xPression 4.1 SP1 before Patch 47, 4.2 before Patch 26, and 4.5 before Patch 05, as used in Documentum Edition, Enterprise Edition Publish Engine, and Enterprise Edition Compuset Engine, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified input to a (1) xAdmin or (2) xDashboard form.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6175 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting EMC Document Sciences xPression versions 4.1 SP1 through 4.5, specifically impacting the Documentum Edition, Enterprise Edition Publish Engine, and Enterprise Edition Compuset Engine components. This vulnerability resides in the web-based administrative interfaces, particularly the xAdmin and xDashboard forms, which serve as primary management portals for configuring and monitoring the document processing workflows. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into these interfaces, potentially compromising the entire system through unauthorized code execution and data manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the xPression application's web forms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that bypass the application's security controls and are subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers who interact with the affected administrative interfaces. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web pages. This weakness creates a direct pathway for attackers to execute malicious scripts in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further system compromise through techniques such as credential theft or privilege escalation.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-6175 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with significant control over the document processing environment. Since these interfaces are typically used by administrators and authorized personnel, successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive document workflows, configuration changes that disrupt business processes, or the ability to inject malicious content that affects downstream document generation and distribution. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the software, indicating a widespread issue that could impact organizations across various deployment scenarios, from small document management systems to enterprise-wide content processing platforms.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement emergency patches provided by EMC, specifically targeting the mentioned patch levels for each affected version. The remediation strategy should include comprehensive input validation for all user-supplied data entering the xAdmin and xDashboard forms, along with proper output encoding to prevent script execution in web contexts. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level controls such as web application firewalls to provide additional layers of protection, while conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, highlighting the attack vector through which malicious JavaScript code is executed within the browser context of legitimate users. Additionally, organizations should review their access control policies to ensure that administrative interfaces are properly restricted and monitored, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate privileges and gain deeper system access through the compromised administrative interfaces.