CVE-2014-7290 in Aeon
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Atlas Systems Aeon 3.5 and 3.6 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) Action or (2) Form parameter to aeon.dll.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7290 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Atlas Systems Aeon versions 3.5 and 3.6. This weakness stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the application's web interface, specifically targeting the aeon.dll component that processes user-supplied data. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly escape or filter user input submitted through the Action or Form parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary script code within the context of a victim's browser session. Such flaws fall under the category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently documented in security frameworks and standards. The affected software architecture demonstrates inadequate output encoding practices that allow attacker-controlled data to be interpreted as executable script rather than static content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within affected environments. Remote attackers can exploit these XSS vulnerabilities to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive authentication tokens, redirect victims to malicious domains, or inject malicious content that can compromise the entire web application ecosystem. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects core application functionality through the aeon.dll component, which likely handles critical business processes and user interactions. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit these XSS flaws to deliver malware or establish command and control channels through infected user browsers. The persistent nature of XSS vulnerabilities means that once exploited, they can continue to affect users until proper patches are applied, creating a window of opportunity for various attack vectors including credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation.
Organizations utilizing Atlas Systems Aeon 3.5 or 3.6 should prioritize immediate remediation through official vendor patches or updates that address the input validation deficiencies in the aeon.dll component. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing comprehensive input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms that prevent user-supplied data from being interpreted as executable script code. Security teams should deploy web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and conduct thorough security assessments of all web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in the codebase. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing proper security monitoring to detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies and browser security headers to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against XSS attacks. Regular security training for developers on secure coding practices and input validation techniques should be mandatory to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future application versions. The remediation process should include thorough regression testing to ensure that the applied fixes do not introduce new functionality issues while effectively closing the XSS attack vectors identified in CVE-2014-7290.