CVE-2017-6340 in InterScan Web Security Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
Trend Micro InterScan Web Security Virtual Appliance (IWSVA) 6.5 before CP 1746 does not sanitize a rest/commonlog/report/template name field, which allows a 'Reports Only' user to inject malicious JavaScript while creating a new report. Additionally, IWSVA implements incorrect access control that allows any authenticated, remote user (even with low privileges like 'Auditor') to create or modify reports, and consequently take advantage of this XSS vulnerability. The JavaScript is executed when victims visit reports or auditlog pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6340 affects Trend Micro InterScan Web Security Virtual Appliance version 6.5 before CP 1746, representing a critical security flaw that combines multiple exploit vectors to enable unauthorized code execution. This vulnerability resides within the web application's input validation mechanisms, specifically targeting the rest/commonlog/report/template name field where insufficient sanitization permits malicious payload injection. The flaw operates under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it susceptible to cross-site scripting attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of inadequate access control enforcement combined with insufficient output encoding. The IWSVA appliance fails to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied input parameters when processing report creation requests, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into template names. This weakness stems from the application's failure to implement proper input sanitization routines that would strip or encode potentially dangerous characters and script tags. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only a low-privilege authenticated user account, specifically those with 'Reports Only' or 'Auditor' roles, which significantly broadens the attack surface and makes the flaw particularly dangerous in environments where multiple user roles exist.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS execution, as it enables attackers to manipulate the web application's reporting functionality to deliver malicious payloads to unsuspecting users. When victims navigate to pages containing the compromised report data or audit logs, the injected JavaScript executes within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects both the reporting and audit log functionalities, creating multiple attack vectors where the malicious code can be triggered. This weakness directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers the use of JavaScript for command and control activities, while also aligning with T1566 which addresses credential access through phishing or malicious web content.
The access control flaw compounds the severity of this vulnerability by allowing users with minimal privileges to perform actions that should be restricted to higher-privilege users. This misconfiguration enables what security researchers would classify as privilege escalation through improper access control mechanisms, where low-privilege users can manipulate system functionality that should be restricted. The combination of insufficient input validation and weak access control creates a dangerous scenario where any authenticated user can leverage the XSS vulnerability to compromise system integrity. Organizations implementing IWSVA without proper patching or network segmentation face significant risk of unauthorized data manipulation and potential full system compromise through this vector.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment to address the specific vulnerability in Trend Micro IWSVA version 6.5 before CP 1746, while also implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns. Organizations should enforce principle of least privilege by restricting user access to reporting functions and implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of the application stack. The solution architecture must include proper output encoding for all user-supplied content and implement comprehensive access control policies that prevent low-privilege users from creating or modifying reports. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should verify that input sanitization mechanisms are properly implemented and that access control policies are functioning as intended to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.