CVE-2014-3475 in Horizon
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Users panel (admin/users/) in OpenStack Dashboard (Horizon) before 2013.2.4, 2014.1 before 2014.1.2, and Juno before Juno-2 allows remote administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a user email address, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-8578.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2022
The cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3475 affects the OpenStack Dashboard component known as Horizon, specifically targeting the Users panel accessible through the admin/users/ path. This vulnerability represents a significant security flaw that undermines the integrity of the administrative interface, creating potential entry points for malicious actors seeking to compromise the system. The vulnerability exists in multiple versions of the OpenStack Dashboard, including releases prior to 2013.2.4, 2014.1.2, and Juno-2, indicating a prolonged period during which systems remained exposed to this threat.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper sanitization of user input within the email address field of the Users panel. When administrators access the user management interface, the system fails to adequately validate or escape special characters present in email addresses, allowing malicious input to be rendered as executable script within the browser context. This vulnerability specifically leverages the HTML rendering capabilities of web browsers to execute arbitrary code when the affected page is loaded, creating a persistent XSS attack vector that can be exploited by remote administrators who have already gained access to the system. The flaw operates at the application layer and directly violates the principle of input validation as outlined in CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities under the broader category of injection flaws.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables sophisticated attacks that can compromise the entire administrative environment. An attacker who can manipulate email addresses within the user management interface can potentially execute malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even escalate privileges within the system. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent XSS attack means that malicious scripts can remain active in the browser session until the page is refreshed or the browser is closed, providing extended attack windows. This type of vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as it allows for the execution of arbitrary code through browser-based interfaces, and T1566 for phishing, as it can be used to deliver malicious payloads to unsuspecting users.
The security implications are particularly severe for cloud environments where OpenStack Dashboard serves as the primary administrative interface, as it provides attackers with a potential pathway to escalate privileges and gain deeper access to cloud resources. The vulnerability's existence in multiple release versions suggests that organizations running these older versions of OpenStack were exposed to prolonged risk periods, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent backdoors or exfiltrate sensitive data over extended timeframes. Organizations implementing OpenStack environments must consider the broader security implications of such vulnerabilities, as they can undermine the trust model that cloud administrators rely upon for secure access to their infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected OpenStack Dashboard versions to the patched releases that address the input sanitization issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation measures that properly escape or filter special characters in user-provided data before rendering it in the browser context. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the OpenStack ecosystem. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust version control practices within cloud infrastructure environments, as the prolonged exposure period of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for proactive security maintenance. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to provide additional layers of protection against similar attack vectors.