CVE-2015-1757 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in adfs/ls in Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1 and Server 2012 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the wct parameter, aka "ADFS XSS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The CVE-2015-1757 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services that specifically targets the adfs/ls endpoint. This vulnerability exists in Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1 as well as Server 2012 implementations, making it particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of these server versions in enterprise environments. The flaw manifests through the wct parameter in the authentication flow, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the AD FS service fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the wct parameter during the federation authentication process. This parameter is typically used to specify the client's return URL after successful authentication, but due to insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms, malicious payloads can be injected and subsequently executed in the victim's browser. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding, making it a classic example of insecure data handling in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it represents a potential elevation of privilege vector that could be leveraged by attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to federated applications. When exploited, the XSS payload can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users within the AD FS environment. Attackers could craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by a victim, would execute scripts that could harvest credentials, modify user permissions, or redirect users to phishing sites designed to capture additional authentication information.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically categorizing it under the T1531 technique for "Account Access Removal" and potentially T1078 for "Valid Accounts" when considering the potential for privilege escalation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls, proper output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, and network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious payloads targeting the wct parameter. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular patch management and security updates, as Microsoft released patches for this issue in their regular security updates, emphasizing the need for timely deployment of security fixes in enterprise environments.