CVE-2014-9352 in Web Access
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the mail administration login panel in Scalix Web Access 11.4.6.12377 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2018
The CVE-2014-9352 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Scalix Web Access 11.4.6.12377 mail administration login panel. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative login interface of Scalix Web Access, a unified communication platform that provides email, calendaring, and collaboration services. The attack vector involves unspecified methods of script injection that could occur during the authentication process or while handling user input within the administrative panel.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Scalix Web Access application. When administrators or authorized users access the login panel, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in the web interface. This allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets the administrative login panel, which typically contains sensitive information and provides access to critical system functions. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to steal administrative credentials, manipulate user sessions, or gain unauthorized access to the underlying mail system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a significant risk to the overall security posture of organizations using Scalix Web Access. Administrators who authenticate to the system could unknowingly execute malicious code that compromises their sessions, potentially leading to complete system takeover. The attack could result in unauthorized data access, modification of email configurations, or the ability to impersonate legitimate users within the communication platform. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Phishing, as attackers could leverage the XSS to deliver malicious payloads to administrators. Organizations relying on Scalix Web Access for email services face potential data breaches and service disruption if this vulnerability is exploited.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9352 should prioritize immediate patching of the Scalix Web Access application to the latest available version that addresses this vulnerability. System administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application to prevent similar issues in the future. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that administrative access is limited to authorized personnel only, and multi-factor authentication should be implemented to add additional security layers. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential XSS vulnerabilities in web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to detect and prevent XSS attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, emphasizing that all user-supplied data must be treated as potentially malicious and properly validated before processing or display.