CVE-2018-15365 in Deep Discovery Inspector
Summary
by MITRE
A Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Trend Micro Deep Discovery Inspector 3.85 and below could allow an attacker to bypass CSRF protection and conduct an attack on vulnerable installations. An attacker must be an authenticated user in order to exploit the vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15365 represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw within Trend Micro Deep Discovery Inspector version 3.85 and earlier systems. This vulnerability operates at the web application layer and specifically targets the inspection and analysis capabilities of the security appliance. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before reflecting it back in HTTP responses, creating an avenue for malicious script execution within the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface of Deep Discovery Inspector. When authenticated users interact with the system, malicious payloads can be injected through parameters that are subsequently reflected without proper sanitization. This particular weakness allows attackers to bypass existing CSRF protection mechanisms that are typically designed to prevent unauthorized actions from being executed on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface where users with valid credentials can be tricked into executing malicious scripts through crafted URLs or form submissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS exploitation as it provides attackers with a foothold to escalate privileges and conduct more sophisticated attacks. Since the vulnerability requires authentication, it limits the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely. An attacker who gains access to legitimate user credentials can leverage this vulnerability to perform actions such as modifying system configurations, accessing sensitive data, or establishing persistent backdoors within the network monitoring infrastructure. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where authenticated users are诱导 to click malicious links that contain reflected script payloads, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple administrators may be compromised.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as mapping to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for "Command and Control" and "Initial Access" where adversaries can establish persistent access through compromised legitimate credentials. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Trend Micro Deep Discovery Inspector version 3.90 or later, which contains patches addressing the reflected XSS vulnerability. Network segmentation and strict access controls should be enforced to limit the scope of potential exploitation, while monitoring for suspicious user activities and anomalous access patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and user awareness training are essential components of a comprehensive defense strategy against this class of vulnerability that leverages legitimate authentication mechanisms for malicious purposes.