CVE-2014-2647 in Operations Agent
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HP Operations Agent in HP Operations Manager (formerly OpenView Communications Broker) before 11.14 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2024
The CVE-2014-2647 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in HP Operations Agent component of HP Operations Manager, formerly known as OpenView Communications Broker. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 11.14 and exposes systems to remote code execution through web script injection attacks. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface of the operations agent, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code in the context of a victim's browser session.
This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classification of CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The technical implementation flaw occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in web responses. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that contain script code, which gets executed when other users view the affected web pages. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple input points within the web interface may be vulnerable, including form fields, URL parameters, or HTTP headers that are processed by the agent's web server component.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it allows remote attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web interfaces, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected system. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to redirect users to malicious websites, inject malware, or extract session cookies that could be used to impersonate legitimate users. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that HP Operations Manager is typically deployed in enterprise environments where it manages critical infrastructure monitoring and operations, making successful exploitation potentially devastating to organizational security posture. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers could leverage the XSS to execute malicious commands through the browser.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2647 should include immediate patching of affected systems to HP Operations Manager version 11.14 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the web application layers, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in web responses. Network segmentation and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter malicious traffic patterns associated with XSS attacks. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other components of the operations management infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security controls in enterprise monitoring systems.