CVE-2017-5003 in RSA Identity Governance
Summary
by MITRE
EMC RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle versions 7.0.1, 7.0.2 (all patch levels); RSA Via Lifecycle and Governance version 7.0 (all patch levels); and RSA Identity Management and Governance (IMG) version 6.9.1 (all patch levels) have Reflected Cross Site Scripting vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited by malicious users to compromise an affected system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2020
The CVE-2017-5003 vulnerability affects EMC RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle platforms across multiple versions including 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0, and 6.9.1, representing a critical reflected cross site scripting flaw that exposes organizations to significant security risks. This vulnerability resides within the web interface components of these identity governance solutions that process user input without proper sanitization, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The affected systems handle authentication and identity management functions, making them prime targets for adversaries seeking to exploit these weaknesses to gain unauthorized access or manipulate user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application framework. When user-supplied data is reflected back in the application's response without proper sanitization, malicious actors can craft specially crafted requests containing script payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. This reflected XSS vulnerability operates through the standard web application request-response cycle where user input flows directly into the HTTP response without appropriate encoding or validation, typically occurring in parameters passed through URL query strings or form submissions. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly escape special characters and HTML tags in user-controllable input fields, allowing script code to be interpreted and executed by web browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5003 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute arbitrary commands on behalf of legitimate users. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to impersonate authorized users, access sensitive identity management data, modify user permissions, or escalate privileges within the governance platform. The attack vector typically involves sending malicious links via email or other communication channels to targeted users, who then click on the links and inadvertently execute the injected scripts in their browsers. This vulnerability particularly threatens organizations using these platforms for critical identity management functions, as compromised systems could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive user accounts and privileged information.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including patching affected systems to the latest available versions, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Security teams should conduct thorough penetration testing to identify all potentially affected endpoints and implement proper security headers including Content Security Policy to prevent script execution. Regular security monitoring and log analysis should be enhanced to detect suspicious user behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations must also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing XSS vulnerabilities and ensure comprehensive user awareness training to prevent social engineering attacks that leverage this vulnerability.