CVE-2016-6810 in ActiveMQ
Summary
by MITRE
In Apache ActiveMQ 5.x before 5.14.2, an instance of a cross-site scripting vulnerability was identified to be present in the web based administration console. The root cause of this issue is improper user data output validation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6810 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Apache ActiveMQ web administration console interface. This issue affects versions 5.x prior to 5.14.2 and exposes organizations to significant security risks through the manipulation of user input data. The vulnerability resides in the web console's handling of user-provided data, where insufficient validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize or escape output before rendering in web pages. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising the integrity of the administration interface and the systems it manages.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities resulting from improper output encoding or validation of user-supplied data. The flaw manifests when user input is directly reflected in web responses without adequate sanitization measures, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed. Attackers can exploit this by crafting specially formatted input parameters that, when processed by the vulnerable ActiveMQ console, result in the injection of JavaScript code into web pages displayed to authenticated users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous for systems with administrative access.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6810 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities within the compromised environment. Successful exploitation allows for session hijacking, data theft, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement within networks where ActiveMQ is deployed. The vulnerability affects the web administration console specifically, which serves as the primary interface for managing ActiveMQ brokers, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise messaging infrastructure. Organizations utilizing ActiveMQ versions prior to 5.14.2 face increased risk of unauthorized access to their messaging systems, potentially leading to data breaches or service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6810 primarily involve immediate patching of affected ActiveMQ installations to version 5.14.2 or later, which includes proper input validation and output sanitization measures. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the ActiveMQ web console, restrict administrative privileges, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in console usage and input parameters. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that the vulnerability is fully resolved without introducing new issues. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their messaging infrastructure to identify and address similar vulnerabilities that may exist in other components of their systems, following established security frameworks and best practices for web application security.