CVE-2014-9230 in Data Loss Prevention
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the administration console in the Enforce Server in Symantec Data Loss Prevention (DLP) before 12.5.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2022
The CVE-2014-9230 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Symantec Data Loss Prevention's Enforce Server administration console. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 12.5.2 and creates a significant security risk by allowing remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the administrative interface. The flaw specifically targets the administration console component of the DLP solution, which serves as the primary interface for system configuration and monitoring activities.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a common web application security weakness that occurs when an application includes untrusted data in a web page without proper validation or escaping. The unspecified attack vectors in this case suggest that the vulnerability could be exploited through multiple entry points within the administration console, potentially including form fields, URL parameters, or other user-controllable inputs that are not properly sanitized before being rendered back to users. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the administration console typically contains sensitive configuration data and system controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with the ability to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated administrative sessions. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially perform actions such as modifying system configurations, accessing sensitive data, creating or modifying user accounts, and executing arbitrary commands within the DLP environment. The attack could also enable the attacker to establish persistent access through session hijacking or by injecting malicious code that persists across user sessions, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where DLP systems are critical for data protection.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, and T1566 for Phishing, as attackers could leverage the XSS flaw to deliver malicious payloads that compromise the administrative interface. The vulnerability could also facilitate lateral movement within the network if the administrative interface is accessible from external networks or if attackers can use the compromised administrative session to access other systems. Organizations using affected versions of Symantec DLP should consider this vulnerability as a potential entry point for advanced persistent threats targeting their data protection infrastructure.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of Symantec's security patches and updates to versions 12.5.2 or later, which contain the necessary fixes for this XSS vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as network segmentation to limit access to the administration console, enforce strict access controls and authentication mechanisms, and conduct regular security assessments of the DLP environment. Input validation and output encoding should be strengthened throughout the application to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future, following the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and other industry security standards. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious activities related to administrative interface access and potential XSS attempts.