CVE-2014-7248 in iLogScanner
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IPA iLogScanner 4.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by triggering a crafted entry in a log file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2019
The CVE-2014-7248 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in IPA iLogScanner 4.0 that exposes organizations to significant web application security risks. This vulnerability specifically affects the log file processing functionality of the iLogScanner application, which is commonly used for monitoring and analyzing system logs across enterprise environments. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's log file handling components, creating an exploitable vector that allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content directly into the application's user interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data when processing log entries that contain crafted malicious payloads. When the iLogScanner application displays log information to users through its web interface, it fails to adequately encode or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This weakness falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant where the malicious content is permanently stored within the application's database or file system and subsequently executed when users view the affected log entries. Attackers can exploit this by creating or manipulating log entries that contain malicious scripts, which then execute in the context of other users' browsers who view these logs.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the compromised environment. Successful exploitation allows attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting or privilege escalation within the application's context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise settings where iLogScanner is used for security monitoring, as it could allow attackers to manipulate log data to hide their activities or create false positives that could mislead security teams. Additionally, since the vulnerability affects log file processing, it could be leveraged to compromise the integrity of security monitoring systems, potentially undermining the organization's ability to detect and respond to actual security incidents.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent malicious content from being stored or displayed in log entries. The recommended approach involves implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied content before rendering it in the web interface, as well as implementing input sanitization mechanisms that filter out potentially dangerous characters and patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against XSS attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in security applications, as log monitoring tools are often trusted with sensitive information and must maintain their integrity to be effective. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks including the use of malicious content, and highlights the necessity of defending against attacks that target the trust placed in monitoring and logging systems. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security testing of their log management systems and ensure that all components properly validate and sanitize user inputs to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced through the application's data handling processes.