CVE-2014-0208 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the search auto-completion functionality in Foreman before 1.4.4 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted key name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2023
The CVE-2014-0208 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Foreman management platform's search auto-completion feature. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 1.4.4 and specifically targets the way the system handles user input during search operations. The flaw exists in the auto-completion functionality that processes user-entered search terms and displays suggested results, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the application's response. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that users who have legitimate credentials can exploit this weakness to compromise other users within the same system. The attack vector involves crafting a malicious key name that, when processed by the auto-completion system, gets rendered without proper sanitization, allowing arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code to execute in the context of other users' browsers. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which identifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically in the context of auto-completion features. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious sites, fundamentally compromising the security of the Foreman management environment.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2014-0208 relies on the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize user input before displaying it in the auto-completion results. When an authenticated user submits a search query containing malicious content, the system processes this input through its auto-completion logic without adequate filtering mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from the assumption that user-supplied data can be safely rendered in the browser context without additional sanitization steps. This flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the importance of implementing proper output encoding for dynamic content. The attack typically involves crafting a key name that includes HTML tags or JavaScript payloads which are then executed when other users view the auto-completion suggestions. The vulnerability can be leveraged through various attack patterns that align with the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation techniques, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code in user browsers through web-based interfaces. The security implications become more severe when considering that Foreman is typically used in enterprise environments where privileged users may have access to sensitive infrastructure management functions, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments.
Organizations affected by CVE-2014-0208 should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Foreman version 1.4.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding for all user-supplied data that is processed through the auto-completion functionality. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies that restrict the execution of inline scripts and limit the potential impact of any remaining vulnerabilities. Additionally, administrators should review and harden the application's configuration to ensure that auto-completion features are properly restricted and that user input is validated against a whitelist of acceptable characters. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for any suspicious search patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious payloads targeting auto-completion features. Regular security assessments of the application's input handling mechanisms are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the system. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against various attack vectors, including those that exploit seemingly benign application features like search auto-completion.