CVE-2014-4075 in ASP.NET MVC
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in System.Web.Mvc.dll in Microsoft ASP.NET Model View Controller (MVC) 2.0 through 5.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted web page, aka "MVC XSS Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2022
The CVE-2014-4075 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Microsoft's ASP.NET Model View Controller framework affecting versions 2.0 through 5.1. This vulnerability resides in the System.Web.Mvc.dll assembly and fundamentally compromises the security of web applications built on the MVC architecture. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages that are subsequently executed by unsuspecting users' browsers, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple application layers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the MVC framework's rendering mechanisms. When developers utilize MVC components to process user-supplied data, the framework fails to properly sanitize or encode potentially malicious content before incorporating it into HTML responses. This occurs particularly when using certain helper methods or when rendering model properties that contain untrusted input. The vulnerability manifests when attackers craft malicious web pages containing script tags or other HTML elements that exploit the framework's insufficient sanitization routines, allowing arbitrary JavaScript execution within the context of the victim's browser session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to perform session hijacking, deface web applications, steal sensitive user data, and potentially escalate privileges within the application context. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute persistent XSS attacks that can compromise user authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject malware delivery mechanisms. The vulnerability affects not just the presentation layer but can potentially enable further exploitation through techniques such as credential theft, data exfiltration, and establishment of backdoor access points within the target environment.
Organizations utilizing affected MVC versions face significant security risks including potential data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and reputational damage. The vulnerability's widespread impact across multiple framework versions means that extensive application portfolios may require immediate remediation efforts. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the CWE-79 weakness category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and align it with ATT&CK techniques such as T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for spearphishing attacks that often leverage XSS as an initial access vector. Mitigation strategies should include immediate application of Microsoft security patches, implementation of proper input validation at all application layers, deployment of content security policies, and comprehensive security testing of web applications to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities within the application codebase.