CVE-2018-13003 in OpenTSDB
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in OpenTSDB 2.3.0. There is XSS in parameter 'type' to the /suggest URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-13003 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within OpenTSDB version 2.3.0 that specifically affects the /suggest URI endpoint. This issue arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization of the 'type' parameter, which allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the application's response. The vulnerability exists in the web interface component of OpenTSDB, which is designed to provide auto-suggestions for metric types and other data elements within the time series database system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious request to the /suggest URI endpoint by manipulating the 'type' parameter to include XSS payloads. When the application processes this parameter without proper sanitization, the injected JavaScript code becomes part of the HTML response that is subsequently rendered in the victim's browser. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be leveraged to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's session, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised system. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the context of authenticated users. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface the web interface, or even escalate privileges if the application's authentication mechanisms are compromised. The vulnerability affects the availability and integrity of the OpenTSDB web interface, potentially disrupting monitoring operations and exposing sensitive time series data that the system is designed to protect. This flaw particularly impacts organizations that rely on OpenTSDB for critical infrastructure monitoring, as it could provide attackers with unauthorized access to operational data and potentially compromise the entire monitoring ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-13003 should prioritize immediate patching of the OpenTSDB installation to version 2.4.0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and output encoding for all parameters received through the web interface, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests targeting the /suggest endpoint. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the monitoring infrastructure, as this flaw demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization in web applications. The vulnerability also highlights the need for adherence to secure coding practices and the application of the principle of least privilege when designing web interfaces that interact with database systems.