CVE-2016-3079 in Spacewalk
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Web UI in Spacewalk and Red Hat Satellite 5.7 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the PATH_INFO to systems/SystemEntitlements.do; (2) the label parameter to admin/multiorg/EntitlementDetails.do; or the name of a (3) snapshot tag or (4) system group in System Set Manager (SSM).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2022
The CVE-2016-3079 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting the web user interface of Spacewalk and Red Hat Satellite 5.7 platforms. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the web application's handling of user-supplied data, creating persistent security gaps that malicious actors can exploit to execute arbitrary code within the context of victim sessions. The flaw specifically impacts the system entitlements management and system set manager components, where user-provided parameters are directly incorporated into dynamically generated web content without proper security filtering mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through multiple attack vectors that all share the common thread of improper parameter handling within the web application's request processing pipeline. Attackers can manipulate the PATH_INFO parameter when accessing systems/SystemEntitlements.do to inject malicious scripts that execute in the browser of authenticated users. Additionally, the label parameter within admin/multiorg/EntitlementDetails.do presents another injection point where attackers can craft malicious payloads. The vulnerability also extends to snapshot tag names and system group names in the System Set Manager component, where user-controllable inputs are processed without adequate sanitization, allowing attackers to inject HTML content that persists across user sessions.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-3079 is severe and multifaceted, as successful exploitation can lead to complete session hijacking, unauthorized access to sensitive system information, and potential privilege escalation within the affected platforms. When authenticated users interact with compromised pages, the injected scripts can capture session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform unauthorized administrative actions on behalf of legitimate users. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where Spacewalk and Red Hat Satellite are deployed for system management, as it can compromise the integrity of critical infrastructure management processes and potentially provide attackers with persistent access to network resources.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The remediation approach should focus on implementing proper parameter sanitization techniques and adopting secure coding practices that align with established security frameworks such as the CWE-79 category for cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense-in-depth measures. According to ATT&CK framework methodology, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving code injection and session management compromise, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls that address both the immediate exploitation vector and broader application security posture. The vulnerability underscores the importance of regular security assessments and input validation testing in enterprise management platforms to prevent similar issues from compromising operational integrity and user trust.