CVE-2014-9741 in ArcGIS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ESRI ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS for Engine, and ArcGIS for Server 10.2.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2022
The CVE-2014-9741 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple components of ESRI's ArcGIS platform including ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS for Engine, and ArcGIS for Server versions 10.2.2 and earlier. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a persistent security weakness in web applications where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The vulnerability's impact extends across the entire ArcGIS ecosystem, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on these mapping and geospatial platforms for critical operations. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw could be exploited through multiple attack surfaces within the platform, potentially including user input fields, configuration parameters, or data import functionalities.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into the affected systems, creating a persistent threat that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to complete system takeover. The vulnerability's presence in both desktop and server components indicates that attackers could potentially exploit it at multiple levels within an organization's geospatial infrastructure. The nature of the flaw suggests that the platform fails to properly validate or sanitize user inputs that are subsequently rendered in web interfaces, creating opportunities for attackers to execute malicious code within the context of legitimate user sessions. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where ArcGIS is used for sensitive geographic data management and mapping applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-9741 extends beyond simple data corruption or unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive geographic information, or manipulate mapping data that could have serious implications for critical infrastructure management, emergency response systems, or proprietary spatial data. Organizations using these ArcGIS versions face potential exposure to data breaches, system compromise, and operational disruption that could affect mission-critical mapping and spatial analysis functions. The vulnerability's widespread presence across multiple platform components means that organizations cannot simply patch one system to resolve the issue, requiring comprehensive remediation efforts across their entire ArcGIS deployment. This creates additional operational complexity and risk exposure for organizations that may have legacy systems or restricted update capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate application of vendor patches released for affected versions, implementation of web application firewalls to filter malicious content, and comprehensive input validation across all user-facing interfaces. Organizations should also consider network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, along with enhanced monitoring of web application logs for suspicious activities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059 technique of Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers could leverage the XSS flaw to execute malicious scripts in user browsers. Additionally, the vulnerability aligns with T1566 techniques related to credential access through social engineering or session manipulation. Security teams should also implement regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications, as the underlying flaw in input sanitization represents a systemic security weakness that could affect other components of the organization's technology stack.