CVE-2018-10383 in SecureLinx Spider
Summary
by MITRE
Lantronix SecureLinx Spider (SLS) 2.2+ devices have XSS in the auth.asp login page.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2023
The Lantronix SecureLinx Spider SLS 2.2 and later versions contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability in the auth.asp login page that represents a significant security weakness in network device management interfaces. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the authentication page, potentially compromising user sessions and gaining unauthorized access to the device management functionality. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface components that handle user authentication requests. The vulnerability affects devices running version 2.2 and higher of the SecureLinx Spider firmware, making it a widespread concern across multiple deployment scenarios including industrial control systems, remote management applications, and network infrastructure monitoring solutions.
The technical flaw manifests when the web application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters before rendering them in the HTML output of the authentication page. Specifically, the auth.asp page does not adequately encode or filter data submitted through login forms, allowing malicious payloads to be executed within the context of the authenticated user's browser session. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a critical weakness in web application security. The attack vector involves an attacker submitting crafted script code through the login page parameters, which then gets executed when the page is rendered to a victim user. The vulnerability can be exploited through various methods including reflected XSS where the malicious script is embedded in the URL parameters or stored XSS where the payload is permanently stored on the server and executed when accessed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and potentially full device compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could steal authentication cookies, impersonate legitimate users, or redirect them to malicious websites that appear to be the legitimate management interface. This poses significant risks to industrial control systems and remote management infrastructure where the SecureLinx Spider devices are commonly deployed. The vulnerability can be leveraged to perform privilege escalation attacks, access sensitive configuration data, or manipulate device settings through authenticated sessions. In environments where these devices manage critical network infrastructure or industrial processes, the potential for operational disruption and security breaches is substantial. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering and malicious web content, as well as T1071 for application layer protocol usage in network communication.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates from Lantronix to address the XSS flaw in the authentication page implementation. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these management interfaces to untrusted networks. Web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms should be deployed to detect and block malicious script payloads before they can be executed. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network management interfaces. The remediation process must also include user education about recognizing phishing attempts and suspicious login page behaviors. Additionally, implementing proper output encoding and input validation controls in web applications aligns with security best practices from NIST SP 800-160 and OWASP Top Ten security guidelines. Organizations should also consider network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts against the vulnerable authentication interface.