CVE-2013-6191 in Operations Orchestration
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HP Operations Orchestration before 9 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2022
The CVE-2013-6191 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in HP Operations Orchestration versions prior to 9.0, exposing organizations to significant web application security risks that could be exploited by remote attackers without authentication. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications that are then executed by other users. The affected HP Operations Orchestration platform serves as a workflow automation and orchestration tool that manages complex business processes, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise environments through web-based attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the HP Operations Orchestration application. Attackers can leverage unspecified vectors to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's response handling mechanisms, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages, allowing malicious payloads to persist and execute within the victim's browser session. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability could potentially be exploited through multiple entry points including form inputs, URL parameters, or API endpoints within the orchestration platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious sites, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected environment. Organizations utilizing HP Operations Orchestration before version 9 face elevated risk of data breaches, unauthorized access to business processes, and potential compromise of the entire orchestration infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target the system from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise deployments that expose such platforms to external networks. This weakness could be leveraged in conjunction with other attack vectors to establish persistent access or to conduct more sophisticated social engineering campaigns.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to HP Operations Orchestration version 9.0 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering malicious traffic attempting to exploit the XSS vulnerability. Input validation controls should be implemented to sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, while output encoding mechanisms must be strengthened to prevent script injection attacks. Security monitoring and incident response procedures should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, with regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in the broader IT infrastructure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment", highlighting the potential for attackers to use this weakness as a stepping stone for more comprehensive attacks against enterprise targets.