CVE-2018-10139 in PAN-OS
Summary
by MITRE
The PAN-OS response page for GlobalProtect in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS 6.1.21 and earlier, PAN-OS 7.1.18 and earlier, PAN-OS 8.0.11 and earlier may allow an unauthenticated attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript or HTML. PAN-OS 8.1 is NOT affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10139 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the GlobalProtect response page of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software. This issue affects multiple versions of the firewall operating system, specifically targeting PAN-OS 6.1.21 and earlier, PAN-OS 7.1.18 and earlier, and PAN-OS 8.0.11 and earlier releases. The flaw exists in the web interface component that handles GlobalProtect client authentication responses, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates without requiring any authentication credentials from the attacker, making it accessible to anyone who can reach the affected system's web interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the GlobalProtect response page implementation. When the system processes authentication responses or error messages, it fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in the web page context. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to inject malicious JavaScript or HTML code through crafted parameters or response data. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The attack vector operates through the web interface of the firewall, making it accessible via standard HTTP/HTTPS protocols and potentially exploitable through various network reconnaissance methods.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration from authenticated users. An attacker could potentially leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to the firewall management interface, manipulate security policies, or redirect users to malicious sites that appear to be legitimate system interfaces. The affected PAN-OS versions represent a significant portion of deployed firewall infrastructure, meaning organizations could be exposed to sophisticated attacks targeting their network security controls. The vulnerability's presence in the GlobalProtect response page specifically impacts organizations that rely on Palo Alto's secure remote access solutions, potentially compromising the integrity of their remote workforce security posture.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to PAN-OS 8.1 or later versions where the issue has been resolved, applying the vendor's security patches, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected web interface components. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated software in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing security policies. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive network monitoring to detect any signs of exploitation attempts and implement additional access controls for the GlobalProtect web interface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security software versions and highlights the critical need for proper input validation in web applications, particularly those handling authentication and security-related functions. Organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure preparedness for potential exploitation scenarios and consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls or content security policies to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities.