CVE-2015-2344 in vRealize Automation
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in VMware vRealize Automation 6.x before 6.2.4 on Linux allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2344 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within VMware vRealize Automation 6.x versions prior to 6.2.4 running on Linux platforms. This security weakness falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-controllable data before incorporating it into web responses. The vulnerability affects the vRealize Automation platform's web interface, which serves as the primary administrative and operational gateway for cloud infrastructure management and automation services.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when authenticated users with valid credentials interact with the vRealize Automation web console, allowing them to inject malicious scripts or HTML content into the application's response. While the exact injection vectors remain unspecified in the CVE description, such vulnerabilities typically arise from insufficient input sanitization in form fields, URL parameters, or API endpoints where user-supplied data is directly rendered in web pages without proper encoding or validation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or privilege escalation within the automation platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it could enable attackers to manipulate the vRealize Automation environment's functionality and compromise the integrity of automated workflows. Given that vRealize Automation serves as a central management platform for cloud infrastructure provisioning and service orchestration, an attacker who successfully exploits this XSS vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data, manipulate automated deployment processes, or establish persistent access to the platform. The authenticated nature of the attack means that exploitation requires valid user credentials, but this limitation does not prevent significant damage as the attacker could potentially escalate privileges or access administrative functions through the compromised session.
Organizations utilizing VMware vRealize Automation 6.x should immediately implement the vendor-provided security patches and updates to remediate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to version 6.2.4 or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent XSS injection attacks. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewall rules, input validation at multiple layers, and regular security assessments can provide additional protection against similar vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect suspicious user activities and unauthorized script injections within the platform's web interface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and adhering to secure coding practices, particularly when handling user-controllable data in web applications. Organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure readiness for potential exploitation of such vulnerabilities, as the impact could extend to the broader cloud infrastructure ecosystem managed by vRealize Automation.