CVE-2018-0697 in Metabase
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in Metabase version 0.29.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0697 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Metabase version 0.29.3 and earlier releases, constituting a severe security weakness that exposes organizations to potential exploitation by remote attackers. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of web application security flaws that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The affected system operates as a business intelligence platform that allows users to create dashboards and visualizations, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit web application vulnerabilities. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the flaw could potentially be triggered through multiple entry points within the application's user interface or API endpoints, increasing the attack surface and complicating mitigation efforts. The vulnerability's classification as a cross-site scripting issue indicates that malicious actors could inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within Metabase's web application framework. Attackers can leverage this weakness to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the context of other users' browsers, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across different user sessions. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the nature of Metabase's functionality, which involves handling sensitive business data and providing interactive dashboards that users trust and interact with regularly. When users view compromised dashboards or reports, the injected scripts execute automatically, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of the victim. The lack of specific vector details in the initial description suggests that the flaw may exist in multiple components of the application's data handling pipeline, including dashboard creation interfaces, data visualization components, or API response handling mechanisms that process user-supplied input without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0697 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates a persistent backdoor that attackers can use to maintain access to compromised systems over time. Organizations utilizing Metabase in production environments face significant risks including unauthorized data access, potential data manipulation, and the possibility of lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or insider knowledge to launch successful attacks, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant or shared hosting environments where multiple organizations may be using the same platform. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the broader ATT&CK framework, specifically categorizing it under techniques related to client-side exploitation and credential theft, as the XSS flaw can be leveraged to harvest session tokens and other authentication information. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a failure in proper input sanitization and output encoding controls that should be implemented at multiple layers of the application architecture.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with upgrading to Metabase versions that contain the necessary security patches and fixes. The recommended approach includes not only updating the core application but also implementing additional security controls such as content security policies, input validation mechanisms, and regular security assessments of web application components. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability scans to identify any potentially compromised systems and implement monitoring solutions that can detect suspicious script injection attempts. The mitigation process should also include user education initiatives to help users recognize potential XSS attack indicators and report suspicious dashboard content. Organizations should establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle XSS vulnerabilities and consider implementing web application firewalls to provide additional protection layers. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other components of the organization's web application infrastructure, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining robust input validation and output encoding practices throughout all application layers. The fix for this vulnerability typically involves implementing proper HTML escaping and input sanitization mechanisms that prevent malicious scripts from being executed in user contexts, which aligns with established security best practices and industry standards for web application development.