CVE-2015-5441 in Arcsight Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in HP ArcSight Management Center before 2.1 and ArcSight Logger before 6.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5441 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting HP ArcSight Management Center versions prior to 2.1 and HP ArcSight Logger versions prior to 6.1. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of client-side code injection. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, session hijacking, or further exploitation of the compromised system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the ArcSight management interfaces. Attackers can exploit unspecified vectors to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code that gets executed when legitimate users view affected pages. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web responses without proper sanitization or encoding, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or system resources. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system and can exploit it from anywhere on the network.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5441 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within the ArcSight environment. Organizations using affected versions face potential exposure to credential theft, data exfiltration, and unauthorized modification of security events and logs. The vulnerability particularly threatens security monitoring capabilities since ArcSight systems are designed to collect and analyze security events from various sources, making compromised instances potentially dangerous for the entire security infrastructure. Attackers could manipulate log data, hide malicious activities, or gain access to sensitive security information that would otherwise be protected within the management console.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to HP ArcSight Management Center 2.1 and ArcSight Logger 6.1 or later versions. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to ArcSight management interfaces and establish strict access controls for administrative functions. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls to filter suspicious requests, conducting regular security assessments of web interfaces, and ensuring proper input validation and output encoding across all user-facing applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure coding practices that align with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in security monitoring systems.