CVE-2015-0551 in Documentum Administrator
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in EMC Documentum WebTop 6.7SP1 before P31, 6.7SP2 before P23, and 6.8 before P01; Documentum Administrator 6.7SP1 before P31, 6.7SP2 before P23, 7.0 before P18, 7.1 before P15, and 7.2 before P01; Documentum Digital Assets Manager 6.5SP6 before P25; Documentum Web Publishers 6.5 SP7 before P25; and Documentum Task Space 6.7SP1 before P31 and 6.7SP2 before P23 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0551 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple components within EMC Documentum suite of enterprise content management products. This vulnerability impacts versions ranging from Documentum WebTop 6.7SP1 through 6.8, Documentum Administrator 6.7SP1 through 7.2, Documentum Digital Assets Manager 6.5SP6, Documentum Web Publishers 6.5SP7, and Documentum Task Space 6.7SP1 through 6.7SP2. The flaw exists in the authentication and input validation mechanisms of these applications, allowing authenticated attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into the application's response handling. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.005 for command and scripting interpreter. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects core administrative and content management functionalities, providing attackers with potential access to sensitive data and system controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user inputs within the web application's processing pipeline. When authenticated users submit data through various application interfaces, the system fails to properly validate or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This occurs across multiple vectors including form submissions, parameter handling, and content display mechanisms within the Documentum applications. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that, when processed by the application, execute in the context of other users' browsers. The authenticated nature of the attack means that exploitation requires prior access to valid user credentials, but the impact is significant as administrators and content managers typically have elevated privileges within the system. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of these enterprise applications, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, or redirect users to malicious sites.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0551 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform sophisticated attacks against the Documentum environment. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to gain access to sensitive content management systems, manipulate document workflows, or extract confidential information from the enterprise content management platform. The vulnerability affects critical business processes that rely on Documentum for document storage, retrieval, and management across organizations. Given that Documentum is widely used in enterprise environments for managing sensitive corporate data, the potential for data breaches or unauthorized access is substantial. The attack vectors are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited through legitimate administrative functions, making detection more difficult. This vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to establish persistent access points within enterprise networks, as the injected scripts can be used to maintain access or exfiltrate data over time.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor patches released for each affected product version, as these updates specifically address the input validation and sanitization flaws. The recommended approach involves upgrading all affected Documentum components to their patched versions, with particular attention to the specific patch levels mentioned in the vulnerability description. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual user behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Input validation should be strengthened at multiple layers including application-level sanitization, web application firewalls, and database input filtering. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred prior to patching. Regular security awareness training for administrators and users should emphasize the importance of monitoring for suspicious activities, as the vulnerability requires authenticated access but can lead to significant system compromise. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and least privilege principles can limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.