CVE-2014-4908 in PNP4Nagios
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in PNP4Nagios through 0.6.22 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the URI used for reaching (1) share/pnp/application/views/kohana_error_page.php or (2) share/pnp/application/views/template.php, leading to improper handling within an http-equiv="refresh" META element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2022
The CVE-2014-4908 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in PNP4Nagios version 0.6.22 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the web application's error handling mechanisms. The flaw specifically affects two key files in the application's view directory structure, namely kohana_error_page.php and template.php, which are responsible for rendering error messages and standard page templates respectively. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the URI parameters used to access these specific files, allowing them to inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability manifests through the improper handling of HTTP headers, particularly within the http-equiv="refresh" META element, which is commonly used for automatic page redirection in web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamic HTML content. When PNP4Nagios processes requests to the affected files, it fails to validate or escape the URI parameters that are passed to these view files. This creates an environment where malicious actors can inject JavaScript code or HTML content through specially crafted URLs. The http-equiv="refresh" META element serves as the execution vector because it allows for dynamic redirection and page refresh behavior, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to persist malicious code within the application's response. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4908 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the network monitoring environment. Since PNP4Nagios is typically deployed in enterprise environments for network performance monitoring, successful exploitation could allow attackers to access sensitive monitoring data, manipulate performance graphs, or even gain access to underlying system information. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on PNP4Nagios for critical infrastructure monitoring, as it could enable attackers to compromise the integrity of network performance data. This makes it especially dangerous in environments where monitoring data is used for security decision-making or incident response activities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including applying the vendor-provided patches or upgrading to versions that have addressed the XSS flaws. The recommended approach involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data within the affected files. Security measures should include sanitizing URI parameters before they are processed by the application's view rendering components. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper HTTP header handling and input validation in preventing XSS attacks, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1203 which covers Web Shell deployment through malicious script injection. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation issues in other components of the monitoring infrastructure.