CVE-2014-0571 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion 9.0 before Update 13, 9.0.1 before Update 12, 9.0.2 before Update 7, 10 before Update 14, and 11 before Update 2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2022
The CVE-2014-0571 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple versions of Adobe ColdFusion software, specifically targeting versions 9.0 through 9.0.2 before their respective updates, as well as ColdFusion 10 before Update 14 and 11 before Update 2. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into web applications, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the ColdFusion application framework. Attackers can exploit this weakness through unspecified vectors that likely involve user-controllable parameters or data inputs processed by the ColdFusion runtime environment. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection, as it can potentially allow attackers to execute malicious code in the context of a victim's browser, leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through spearphishing and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0571 is significant for organizations relying on ColdFusion applications, as it provides attackers with a pathway to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The vulnerability affects the core web application framework rather than specific applications built on ColdFusion, making it particularly dangerous as it could impact multiple applications within an organization simultaneously. Organizations using affected versions face risks of data breaches, unauthorized access to confidential information, and potential system compromise through session manipulation attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the vendor-provided security updates and patches for each affected ColdFusion version. Adobe released updates addressing this flaw in their respective software versions, and organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment. Additional defensive measures include implementing proper input validation, output encoding, and content security policies. Organizations should also consider network segmentation, web application firewalls, and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework suggests implementing defensive techniques such as input validation controls and monitoring for suspicious user behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.