CVE-2014-3147 in Splunk
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the auto-complete feature in Splunk Enterprise before 6.0.4 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a CSV file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2017
The CVE-2014-3147 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Splunk Enterprise's auto-complete functionality, affecting versions prior to 6.0.4. This vulnerability resides in the web application's handling of user input within the auto-complete feature, which is designed to provide predictive text suggestions during data entry operations. The flaw specifically manifests when processing CSV files that contain user-supplied data, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browser sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within Splunk's auto-complete mechanism. When users upload CSV files containing specially crafted malicious content, the system fails to properly escape or filter the data before rendering it in the auto-complete suggestions. This oversight creates a persistent XSS vector that operates on the principle of storing malicious scripts within the application's data processing pipeline rather than requiring immediate execution through direct user interaction. The vulnerability is authenticated, meaning attackers must have valid credentials to exploit it, but this requirement does not mitigate the potential impact on other users within the same Splunk instance.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive data, manipulate the application interface, and potentially escalate privileges within the Splunk environment. Attackers can craft CSV files containing malicious payloads that execute when other users view auto-complete suggestions, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates how seemingly benign features like auto-complete can become security risks when proper input validation is absent. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, and T1566 for phishing, as it can be exploited through social engineering tactics involving CSV file uploads.
Organizations running affected Splunk versions face significant risks including data exfiltration, session hijacking, and potential lateral movement within their security infrastructure. The vulnerability's authenticated nature means that compromised user accounts can be leveraged to gain unauthorized access to sensitive monitoring data, system configurations, and log information that Splunk typically protects. Security teams should prioritize patching this vulnerability through the official Splunk 6.0.4 update, which implements proper input sanitization and output encoding for auto-complete features. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to Splunk instances, enforcing strict access controls, and monitoring for unusual CSV file uploads or auto-complete usage patterns. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of comprehensive input validation across all application features, particularly those that process user-supplied data in web interfaces, and serves as a reminder that even auxiliary features like auto-complete can represent significant security attack surfaces when not properly secured.