CVE-2018-10854 in CloudForms
Summary
by MITRE
cloudforms version, cloudforms 5.8 and cloudforms 5.9, is vulnerable to a cross-site-scripting. A flaw was found in CloudForms's v2v infrastructure mapping delete feature. A stored cross-site scripting due to improper sanitization of user input in Name field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10854 affects Red Hat CloudForms versions 5.8 and 5.9, specifically targeting the v2v (virtual-to-virtual) infrastructure mapping functionality. This represents a critical security weakness that exposes the platform to persistent cross-site scripting attacks through a flawed input sanitization mechanism within the delete feature of infrastructure mappings. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user-supplied data when processing the Name field during the deletion operation, creating a persistent XSS vector that can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of authenticated users' browsers.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper sanitization of user input within CloudForms' administrative interface, where the Name field associated with v2v infrastructure mappings fails to properly validate or escape special characters before storing and subsequently rendering user-provided content. This vulnerability maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') and specifically aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that malicious payloads injected through the Name field are permanently saved within the application's database and executed whenever the affected page is loaded, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to potentially escalate privileges and execute malicious code within the CloudForms environment. An attacker could craft a malicious payload within the Name field that, when processed by the application, would execute JavaScript code in the browser of any user who views the affected infrastructure mapping. This could lead to session hijacking, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, or even full system compromise depending on the user's access level. The vulnerability affects the core administrative functionality of CloudForms, potentially allowing unauthorized users to manipulate the v2v mapping infrastructure and gain access to sensitive virtualization data. The persistent nature of stored XSS attacks means that the impact can compound over time as more users interact with the compromised interface elements, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where CloudForms serves as a central management platform.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10854 should prioritize immediate patching of affected CloudForms versions to the latest available releases that contain proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side filters to prevent malicious content from being stored within the application database. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of administrative interfaces to trusted users only, while implementing proper output encoding for all user-provided content rendered in web interfaces. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious user activity patterns and anomalous input submissions that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their CloudForms deployments and implement automated vulnerability scanning tools to identify similar input validation weaknesses across their entire infrastructure management platform. The remediation process should also include user education regarding the risks of interacting with untrusted content within administrative interfaces and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all system components.