CVE-2018-0723 in Q'center Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Q'center Virtual Appliance 1.8.1014 and earlier versions could allow remote attackers to inject Javascript code in the compromised application, a different vulnerability than CVE-2018-0724.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/24/2020
The CVE-2018-0723 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw identified in Q'center Virtual Appliance versions 1.8.1014 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the web application interface of the virtual appliance, creating a dangerous attack vector that enables remote threat actors to execute malicious javascript code within the context of affected user sessions. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's output. This vulnerability operates independently from CVE-2018-0724, indicating distinct code paths and attack surfaces within the same product line, which complicates remediation efforts and increases the overall attack surface exposure.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Q'center Virtual Appliance's web interface. When users interact with the application through web browsers, any data submitted through forms, parameters, or other input vectors may be processed without proper sanitization before being rendered back to users. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the application's failure to escape special characters or validate input data, enabling javascript execution within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability can be leveraged through various attack vectors including reflected, stored, or DOM-based XSS depending on how the application processes the malicious input. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in web applications, highlighting the fundamental weakness in input handling and output sanitization processes.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0723 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive credentials, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser environment. Successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of user sessions, unauthorized access to sensitive virtual appliance configurations, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the appliance operates. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain persistent access to the virtual appliance administration interface, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects not only individual user sessions but also the overall security posture of organizations relying on Q'center Virtual Appliance for their virtualization management, as it undermines the trust model between users and the application. This flaw particularly impacts environments where the appliance handles sensitive configuration data or serves as a management interface for critical virtualized infrastructure components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-0723 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Q'center Virtual Appliance versions to the latest available release that addresses this vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's web interface, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before rendering in web pages. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the appliance to untrusted networks, while implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious input patterns and anomalous user behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection techniques and T1566 for credential access through web application exploitation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in related systems, while implementing proper security training for developers to prevent such flaws in future application development cycles. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to add an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks.