CVE-2018-11073 in RSA Authentication Manager
Summary
by MITRE
RSA Authentication Manager versions prior to 8.3 P3 contain a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Operations Console. A malicious Operations Console administrator could exploit this vulnerability to store arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code through the web interface. When other Operations Console administrators open the affected page, the injected scripts could potentially be executed in their browser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11073 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within RSA Authentication Manager versions earlier than 8.3 Patch 3. This vulnerability specifically affects the Operations Console component of the authentication platform, which serves as the primary administrative interface for managing authentication policies, user accounts, and system configurations. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's user interface, allowing malicious actors with administrative privileges to inject malicious code into the system's persistent storage. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability, where the malicious input is stored on the server and subsequently served to other users without proper sanitization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess valid administrative credentials within the Operations Console, as the attack vector specifically targets the administrative interface. Once an attacker with sufficient privileges injects malicious JavaScript code through the web interface, the payload becomes persistent within the application's data storage. When other legitimate administrators navigate to the affected pages within the Operations Console, their browsers execute the stored script within their own browsing context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of the authentication infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates a dangerous combination of privilege escalation and code execution capabilities, as it leverages the trust relationship between administrators and the system to deliver malicious payloads to other trusted users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the RSA Authentication Manager system. An attacker could potentially establish persistent backdoors, steal administrative sessions, or manipulate authentication policies to redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire authentication ecosystem, as it allows for unauthorized code execution within the administrative context where sensitive configuration data is managed. This represents a significant risk to organizations relying on RSA Authentication Manager for critical security infrastructure, as the compromise of any administrative account could lead to widespread system manipulation and potential credential theft across the entire authentication domain.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to RSA Authentication Manager 8.3 Patch 3 or later versions, which contain the necessary security patches to address the stored XSS vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing strict access controls and privilege separation within the Operations Console, monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, and conducting regular security assessments of administrative interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript execution and T1548.002 for abuse of authentication mechanisms, demonstrating how administrative interfaces can become attack vectors for broader system compromise. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns, while maintaining comprehensive logging of administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts.