CVE-2016-0925 in Adaptive Authentication
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Case Management application in RSA Adaptive Authentication (On-Premise) before 6.0.2.1.SP3.P4 HF210, 7.0.x and 7.1.x before 7.1.0.0.SP0.P6 HF50, and 7.2.x before 7.2.0.0.SP0.P0 HF20 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2022
The CVE-2016-0925 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within RSA Adaptive Authentication's Case Management application, affecting multiple version ranges of the on-premise deployment. This vulnerability exposes organizations to significant security risks as it permits remote authenticated attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected applications. The flaw exists in the application's handling of user input and validation mechanisms, creating an avenue for attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially compromise user sessions or access sensitive data. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can enable more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the authenticated user context.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Case Management component of RSA Adaptive Authentication. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that bypass the application's security controls, allowing their injected code to execute in the browsers of other users who interact with the vulnerable application. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple entry points within the application's user interface or API endpoints may be susceptible to this attack pattern, making the vulnerability particularly challenging to fully assess and remediate. This flaw aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a fundamental web application security weakness, specifically addressing the improper handling of untrusted data in web applications. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version streams including 6.0.2.1.SP3.P4, 7.0.x, 7.1.x, and 7.2.x demonstrates a persistent issue within the application's codebase that required multiple patch releases to address.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0925 extends beyond immediate script execution capabilities as it creates a persistent threat vector for attackers to establish footholds within organizations using RSA Adaptive Authentication. Remote authenticated users can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject content that appears legitimate to end users, potentially leading to credential theft or unauthorized access to sensitive case management data. The attack surface is particularly concerning for organizations that rely heavily on case management workflows for security operations, as compromised applications could lead to unauthorized access to security incidents, user accounts, or internal threat intelligence. This vulnerability can be exploited as part of broader attack chains, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges or move laterally within the organization's security infrastructure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application attack vector under the technique of "Web Application Attack" with potential for privilege escalation and credential access through session manipulation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided patches for versions 6.0.2.1.SP3.P4 HF210, 7.0.x and 7.1.x before 7.1.0.0.SP0.P6 HF50, and 7.2.x before 7.2.0.0.SP0.P0 HF20. Additionally, implementing robust input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, and user access controls should be reviewed to limit the impact of potential compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive application security testing to identify and remediate such flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors in the wild.