CVE-2018-1000029 in Enterprise Log Search
Summary
by MITRE
mcholste Enterprise Log Search and Archive (ELSA) version revision 1205, commit 2cc17f1 and earlier contains a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index view (/) that can result in . This attack appear to be exploitable via Payload delivered via the type, name, and value parameters of /Query/set_preference and the name and value parameters of /Query/preference. Payload executed when the user visits the index view (/).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2020
The CVE-2018-1000029 vulnerability affects the mcholste Enterprise Log Search and Archive (ELSA) system at revision 1205 and earlier versions, representing a critical cross site scripting flaw that compromises user security. This vulnerability exists within the application's index view handling mechanism, specifically in how the system processes user-supplied parameters without adequate input sanitization or output encoding. The flaw manifests when malicious payloads are injected through multiple parameter vectors including type, name, and value parameters within the /Query/set_preference endpoint, as well as name and value parameters in the /Query/preference endpoint. When users navigate to the index view, previously stored malicious payloads execute automatically, creating a persistent XSS attack vector that can affect all users who access the vulnerable interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard XSS attack patterns where unvalidated user input flows directly into the application's output rendering without proper context-aware escaping or sanitization. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the application's core user interface where legitimate users routinely interact with the system, making it difficult to distinguish between benign and malicious content. The attack surface expands significantly through the multiple parameter injection points that allow attackers to craft payloads that persist in the application's database or configuration storage mechanisms. This creates a server-side persistence model where the malicious code executes every time a user visits the index view, regardless of whether they initiated the original malicious request or simply accessed the application normally.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration from authenticated user sessions. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as attackers can leverage the persistent nature of the vulnerability to maintain long-term access to compromised systems. The vulnerability's location within the application's core configuration management system means that successful exploitation could potentially allow attackers to modify system settings, alter access controls, or manipulate stored log data in ways that compromise the integrity of the entire logging infrastructure. This aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding, and follows ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution through web interfaces.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate code-level fixes and broader architectural considerations. The primary remediation involves implementing strict input validation and output encoding across all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in configuration and preference management endpoints. Developers should employ context-aware escaping mechanisms that properly encode data based on the output context where it will be rendered, preventing malicious scripts from executing in the browser environment. Additionally, the application should implement proper parameter sanitization at multiple layers including input validation, storage sanitization, and output encoding. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to further limit the execution of unauthorized scripts, while establishing regular security code reviews and automated vulnerability scanning to prevent similar issues in future releases. The vulnerability highlights the importance of treating all user-provided data as untrusted and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against both client-side and server-side code execution attacks.