CVE-2014-1695 in OTRS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) 3.1.x before 3.1.20, 3.2.x before 3.2.15, and 3.3.x before 3.3.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted HTML email.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2025
The Cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1695 affects the Open Ticket Request System OTRS version 3.1.x before 3.1.20, 3.2.x before 3.2.15, and 3.3.x before 3.3.5. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of the affected system. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes crafted HTML emails, creating an attack vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to unauthorized access or data manipulation.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-site Scripting, which is classified as a weakness in web applications that allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The technical flaw occurs due to insufficient input validation and output encoding within the email processing functionality of OTRS. When the system receives and displays HTML content from email messages without proper sanitization, it fails to escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable script code. This lack of proper sanitization creates an environment where malicious actors can craft HTML emails containing embedded scripts that execute in the context of authenticated users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged for various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. Attackers can craft emails containing malicious scripts that steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on email-based ticketing systems, as the attack vector requires only the ability to send emails to the system, making it an attractive target for both external attackers and malicious insiders. The widespread use of OTRS in enterprise environments means that successful exploitation could compromise multiple user sessions and potentially lead to broader system compromise.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to the patched versions of OTRS 3.1.20, 3.2.15, or 3.3.5, as these releases contain the necessary input validation and output encoding fixes to prevent the injection of malicious scripts. Additionally, implementing proper email filtering and content inspection mechanisms can provide additional layers of defense. Security measures should include regular security assessments of web applications, implementation of Content Security Policies, and comprehensive user education about the risks of opening suspicious emails. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for Phishing and T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS to understand how such vulnerabilities can be exploited in real-world scenarios. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while maintaining detailed audit logs of email processing activities to identify potential attack vectors.