CVE-2018-15533 in re_porter 16
Summary
by MITRE
A reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in Geutebrueck re_porter 16 before 7.8.974.20 by appending a query string to /modifychannel/exec or /images/*.png on TCP port 12005.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2024
The reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15533 affects the Geutebrueck re_porter 16 software version prior to 7.8.974.20, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications. This vulnerability specifically manifests when query strings are appended to the /modifychannel/exec endpoint or /images/*.png resources accessible through TCP port 12005, creating an attack surface that can be exploited without requiring authentication or prior access to the system. The flaw resides in the application's failure to properly sanitize and validate user input received through HTTP query parameters, allowing malicious actors to craft specially crafted URLs that, when executed by unsuspecting users, can trigger unauthorized script execution within the victim's browser context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows the classic reflected XSS pattern where user-supplied data flows directly from the HTTP request into the web application's response without adequate sanitization or encoding. When a victim clicks on a maliciously crafted link containing script code in the query string, the server processes the input and reflects it back in the HTTP response, executing the injected payload in the victim's browser. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently ranked among the top ten web application security risks by OWASP. The attack vector operates through the standard HTTP protocol on port 12005, making it accessible over network connections and potentially exploitable in various network environments where the affected service is exposed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could craft payloads that steal user session cookies, allowing unauthorized access to the system with legitimate user privileges, or could redirect victims to phishing sites designed to capture login credentials. The vulnerability affects the administrative interface of the Geutebrueck re_porter 16 system, potentially compromising the integrity of channel modifications and system configurations. Given that the affected endpoints are accessible through TCP port 12005, this vulnerability could be exploited in environments where the service is exposed to untrusted networks, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise or industrial control system contexts where such services might be directly accessible from external networks without proper network segmentation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase, specifically targeting the endpoints mentioned in the vulnerability description. The recommended approach includes sanitizing all user input received through HTTP query parameters before incorporating them into web responses, implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, and applying proper HTML encoding to prevent script interpretation. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level protections such as firewalls or access control lists to restrict access to TCP port 12005 to trusted networks only, while ensuring that the affected software is updated to version 7.8.974.20 or later where the vulnerability has been patched. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203 as "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1566 as "Phishing", highlighting the potential for this flaw to serve as an initial access vector for more sophisticated attacks. System administrators should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify other potentially vulnerable endpoints within the application and implement proper security monitoring to detect suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.