CVE-2014-3960 in OpenNMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in OpenNMS before 1.12.7 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3960 represents a critical security flaw in the OpenNMS network monitoring platform prior to version 1.12.7. This issue manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that enable remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected systems. OpenNMS, being a comprehensive network management solution, serves as a central hub for monitoring network infrastructure, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on its services for critical network operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the OpenNMS application. Attackers can exploit these weaknesses through unspecified vectors that likely involve user-controllable input fields or parameters within the web interface. The absence of proper sanitization allows malicious payloads to be stored or executed in the browser context of legitimate users who interact with the vulnerable application. This class of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that OpenNMS typically operates in enterprise environments where users with elevated privileges may interact with the system, potentially allowing attackers to escalate their privileges or access sensitive network information.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-3960 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, and redirection to malicious websites. In enterprise network management contexts, where OpenNMS often serves as a central repository for network monitoring data, successful exploitation could compromise the integrity of critical network information and potentially provide attackers with insights into network topology and device configurations. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for distributed network environments. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 which covers Scripting and T1566.001 which addresses Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could leverage these XSS flaws to deliver malicious payloads through compromised network monitoring interfaces.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through updating to OpenNMS version 1.12.7 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, network administrators should implement defensive measures such as input validation controls, output encoding, and regular security assessments of web applications. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for suspicious activities within the OpenNMS environment and implementing web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all network monitoring tools to identify similar vulnerabilities that might exist in other components of their infrastructure. The remediation process must be carefully planned to ensure that the update does not disrupt existing network monitoring operations while providing adequate protection against the identified XSS threats.