CVE-2015-2768 in TRITON AP-EMAIL
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Websense TRITON AP-EMAIL before 8.0.0 and V-Series 7.7 appliances allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2018
The CVE-2015-2768 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Websense TRITON AP-EMAIL systems and V-Series 7.7 appliances, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in web application input validation mechanisms. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as an improper neutralization of input during web output, where the system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The flaw exists in the email filtering and content inspection components of these security appliances, which process and display user-generated content without adequate sanitization measures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulating email headers, body content, or attachment metadata that gets rendered in the web-based management interface. Attackers can craft malicious email messages containing embedded scripts that execute when other users view the email content within the Websense interface, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it compromises the integrity of the administrative interface, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to the appliance configuration.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations relying on Websense appliances for email security and content filtering. The remote nature of the attack means that malicious actors can exploit this flaw without requiring physical access or network credentials, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these appliances serve as central security gateways. The vulnerability affects both AP-EMAIL systems prior to version 8.0.0 and V-Series 7.7 appliances, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple product lines. Organizations using these systems may experience unauthorized access to email content, potential data exfiltration, and compromise of the security appliance itself, which could undermine the entire email filtering infrastructure.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2768 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to version 8.0.0 or later for AP-EMAIL appliances and ensure proper firmware updates for V-Series 7.7 systems. Network administrators should implement additional defensive measures including enhanced input validation, web application firewalls, and regular security assessments of the email filtering infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior in the email security appliances and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing XSS vulnerabilities in security appliances. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage the XSS to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially enabling further exploitation techniques within the compromised environment.