CVE-2015-2703 in TRITON AP-WEB
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Websense TRITON AP-WEB before 8.0.0 and V-Series 7.7 appliances allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) ws-userip in the ws-encdata parameter to cve-bin/moreBlockInfo.cgi in the Data Security block page or (2) admin_msg parameter to configure/ssl_ui/eva-config/client-cert-import_wsoem.html in the Content Gateway, which is not properly handled in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2703 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Websense TRITON AP-WEB and V-Series appliances prior to version 8.0.0. This vulnerability manifests in two distinct attack vectors within the web interface components of these security appliances, specifically targeting the Data Security block page and Content Gateway functionality. The flaw resides in the improper handling of user-supplied input within error message contexts, creating opportunities for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts and HTML code within the browser context of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits input validation weaknesses in two separate web endpoints. The first vector involves the ws-userip parameter within the ws-encdata parameter of the cve-bin/moreBlockInfo.cgi script, which is part of the Data Security block page functionality. The second vector targets the admin_msg parameter in the configure/ssl_ui/eva-config/client-cert-import_wsoem.html endpoint within the Content Gateway component. Both attack paths demonstrate the classic XSS pattern where unvalidated user input flows directly into web page output without proper sanitization or encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of the victim's browser session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the appliance management interface. The vulnerability affects the core security functions of these appliances, which are designed to protect network traffic and enforce security policies. An attacker exploiting this flaw could gain unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data, manipulate security policies, or redirect users to malicious sites that appear to be legitimate administrative interfaces. The attack requires no authentication for the initial exploitation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed against any user accessing the vulnerable appliance's web interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2703 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions 8.0.0 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to these administrative interfaces and deploy web application firewalls to detect and prevent malicious payloads. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage through web scripting. Additional defensive measures include regular security assessments of web interfaces, implementation of content security policies, and comprehensive monitoring for suspicious activities in administrative access logs. Organizations should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems to identify attempts to exploit this and similar vulnerabilities in their security infrastructure.