CVE-2018-1000095 in oVirt
Summary
by MITRE
oVirt version 4.2.0 to 4.2.2 contains a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the name/description of VMs portion of the web admin application. This vulnerability appears to have been fixed in version 4.2.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1000095 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within the oVirt web administration interface that affects versions 4.2.0 through 4.2.2. This issue specifically targets the virtual machine name and description fields within the administrative web application, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject persistent script code into the system. The vulnerability resides in the input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within the web interface, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate output encoding and input sanitization within the oVirt administration console. When administrators or users view virtual machine details, the system fails to properly escape special characters in the name and description fields, enabling attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the browser context of authenticated users. This flaw aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross site scripting vulnerabilities through improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of proper context-aware output encoding that should be implemented when rendering user-provided content within HTML contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive administrative credentials, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the entire virtualization infrastructure. An attacker could craft malicious VM names or descriptions containing script payloads that would execute whenever any authenticated user views the affected virtual machine details page. This creates a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users within the same administrative domain, particularly those with elevated privileges. The vulnerability operates under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007 for command and control through scripting, where malicious code execution occurs through web-based interfaces rather than traditional command line interfaces.
The remediation for this vulnerability requires immediate patching to oVirt version 4.2.3 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation that filters or escapes special characters including angle brackets, quotes, and script tags before storing or rendering user-provided data. Security measures should also include regular vulnerability assessments of web applications, implementation of content security policies to prevent script execution, and comprehensive user training on recognizing potentially malicious input. The fix demonstrates the importance of proper web application security practices including context-aware encoding, input validation, and output sanitization to prevent XSS attacks in administrative interfaces.