CVE-2017-9622 in epesi
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Telaxus/EPESI 1.8.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted common data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9622 represents a critical security flaw in Telaxus/EPESI version 1.8.2 and earlier systems, specifically targeting cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that enable remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the application's user interface. This vulnerability falls under the category of input validation failures and represents a significant threat to web application security. The flaw exists in the application's handling of common data inputs, where insufficient sanitization and validation mechanisms fail to properly filter or escape user-supplied content before rendering it within the web interface. The vulnerability affects the core data processing functionality of the EPESI system, which is designed for business management and collaboration, making it particularly dangerous as it could compromise the integrity of business-critical information and user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's inadequate sanitization of user inputs across multiple data entry points within the EPESI framework. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that contain script tags or other HTML elements designed to execute within the context of authenticated user sessions. When the application processes and displays this malformed data without proper input validation, it creates an environment where malicious scripts can execute in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation. The vulnerability is classified as a persistent XSS flaw, where the malicious input is stored within the application's database and subsequently served to other users, amplifying the potential impact of a single attack vector. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers can leverage the XSS to establish persistent access through malicious script execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-9622 extends beyond simple data corruption, as it creates a gateway for sophisticated attacks that can compromise entire user sessions and potentially provide attackers with elevated privileges within the business management system. When authenticated users interact with the vulnerable application, they become susceptible to session theft, credential harvesting, and unauthorized data manipulation. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete compromise of the application's user base, particularly if the system handles sensitive business information, financial data, or personal user details. Organizations using affected versions of EPESI face significant risk of data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and potential financial losses due to compromised systems. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where EPESI is used for critical business operations, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain access to confidential business intelligence, customer data, or internal communications. Additionally, the persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, malicious scripts can continue to affect users until the application is properly patched and the malicious content is removed from the database.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9622 require immediate action including upgrading to a patched version of Telaxus/EPESI, implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable software and ensure proper patch management protocols are in place to prevent future occurrences. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution within the application's context. Regular security testing, including automated scanning and manual penetration testing, should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the application's codebase. System administrators should also implement proper monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect suspicious activities related to data input and user session management, as well as establish incident response procedures specifically designed to handle XSS-related security events. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input sanitization and output encoding practices, which are fundamental requirements for secure web application development and align with industry standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.