CVE-2017-9623 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 country data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9623 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Telaxus/EPESI versions 1.8.2 and earlier. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's handling of country data, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes user-supplied country information without adequate filtering, allowing attackers to inject crafted HTML or JavaScript code that persists and executes in the victim's browser environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. This particular implementation flaw occurs in the data processing pipeline where country information is accepted and stored, creating a persistent XSS vector. Attackers can exploit this by submitting malicious payloads through country data fields, which then get rendered in subsequent web page displays, enabling them to execute scripts in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means attackers do not require physical access to the system or direct user interaction beyond triggering the vulnerable functionality.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-9623 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation within the targeted environment. Given that EPESI is a business management application, successful exploitation could compromise sensitive corporate data, user credentials, and business processes. The vulnerability's persistence through stored data means that once exploited, the malicious scripts remain active until the application is patched or the affected data is manually removed. This creates ongoing security risks for organizations using vulnerable versions, as the attack surface remains active even after initial exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected EPESI installations to version 1.8.3 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input sanitization measures, including HTML encoding of all user-supplied data before storage and display, and employ Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious country data submissions, while security awareness training should emphasize the dangers of untrusted data input. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and conducting regular security assessments of the application's data handling processes will provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities in the future. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.008 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Spearphishing Attachment, highlighting the need for both defensive and detection measures.