CVE-2014-3740 in SpiceWorks
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in SpiceWorks before 7.2.00195 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Summary field in a ticket request to the portal page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3740 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the SpiceWorks software platform, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.2.00195. This security weakness resides in the web application's handling of user input within the ticket summary field, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically targets the portal page functionality where users submit ticket requests, making it particularly dangerous as it operates within a legitimate user interaction context.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper sanitization of input data in the Summary field of ticket requests. When authenticated users submit tickets containing malicious script code within the summary field, the application fails to adequately validate or escape the input before rendering it on the portal page. This allows attackers to inject JavaScript code or HTML content that executes in the browsers of other users who view the affected ticket. The flaw constitutes a classic reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability where malicious input is immediately reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability directly maps to the Common Weakness Enumeration classification for Cross-Site Scripting, specifically the reflected variant where attacker-supplied data is immediately reflected back to the user without validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An authenticated attacker with access to the SpiceWorks portal can craft malicious tickets that, when viewed by other users, could steal session cookies, redirect victims to phishing sites, or even execute commands on behalf of the affected users. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or direct network connections to exploit the flaw, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on web-based ticketing systems. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the application and can compromise the integrity of user sessions and data within the platform.
Organizations utilizing SpiceWorks should implement immediate mitigations including updating to version 7.2.00195 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing input validation and output encoding mechanisms at the application level, ensuring that all user-supplied data undergoes proper sanitization before being rendered on web pages. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the primary solution remains the application-level patch. According to ATT&CK framework category T1059, this vulnerability represents a technique for executing malicious code through web-based interfaces, while the broader T1531 category covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and data exfiltration. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the application's codebase, particularly focusing on user-facing input fields that are rendered without proper escaping mechanisms.