CVE-2018-12353 in Knowage
Summary
by MITRE
Knowage (formerly SpagoBI) 6.1.1 allows XSS via the name field to the "Business Model's Catalogue" catalogue.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12353 affects Knowage version 6.1.1, formerly known as SpagoBI, presenting a cross-site scripting vulnerability within the Business Model's Catalogue functionality. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data entered into the name field of the catalogue component. The flaw exists in the web application's handling of user interactions where malicious input can be injected and subsequently executed within the context of other users' browsers. This represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of the application's user interface and data protection mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code quality issue arising from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data. When users input malicious scripts into the name field of the Business Model's Catalogue, these inputs are not properly escaped or filtered before being rendered back to other users viewing the catalogue. The attack vector exploits the application's failure to implement proper output encoding practices, allowing attackers to inject javascript code that executes in the browser context of legitimate users. This vulnerability specifically targets the application's user interface components where user-generated content is displayed without adequate security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking. An attacker could potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive business intelligence data, or manipulate the application's business model configurations. The business implications are significant as the vulnerability affects core functionality of the analytics platform, potentially compromising the integrity of business intelligence reports and model definitions. Users interacting with the Business Model's Catalogue could unknowingly execute malicious code, leading to data exfiltration, unauthorized access to business processes, or complete system compromise depending on the privileges of affected users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-12353 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The primary remediation involves ensuring all user-supplied data entered into the name field of the Business Model's Catalogue is properly sanitized and encoded before being stored or rendered. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conduct regular security testing including dynamic and static analysis. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and ATT&CK framework's T1203 technique for exploiting web application vulnerabilities. Regular updates to the Knowage platform and comprehensive security awareness training for developers are essential to prevent similar issues in future releases and maintain the security posture of business intelligence environments.