CVE-2018-16965 in SupportCenter Plus
Summary
by MITRE
In Zoho ManageEngine SupportCenter Plus 8.1.0, there is HTML Injection and Stored XSS via the /ServiceContractDef.do contractName parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2018-16965 represents a critical security flaw in Zoho ManageEngine SupportCenter Plus version 8.1.0 that allows attackers to execute malicious scripts through HTML injection and stored cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability specifically targets the /ServiceContractDef.do endpoint and affects the contractName parameter, creating a persistent security risk that can compromise user sessions and access sensitive data within the support management platform.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the web application's parameter handling mechanism. When users submit data through the contractName parameter, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This insufficient sanitization creates an environment where malicious actors can inject persistent scripts that are stored within the application's database and subsequently executed whenever the affected page is accessed by other users. The vulnerability manifests as a stored XSS attack because the injected code is permanently stored and can affect multiple users over time rather than being a one-time reflected attack.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using Zoho ManageEngine SupportCenter Plus as their primary support ticketing system. Attackers could exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser context, or even escalate privileges within the application. The stored nature of the XSS means that the impact extends beyond a single incident, as the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the system. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the support center's data and services, potentially exposing sensitive customer information, service contracts, and internal support communications.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent HTML injection attempts, regular security assessments of web applications, and monitoring for suspicious parameter submissions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as attackers could leverage the XSS to execute malicious JavaScript code. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls, content security policies, and regular patch management procedures to protect against similar vulnerabilities in the future. The remediation process should involve validating all user inputs through strict sanitization routines and ensuring proper output encoding before rendering any user-supplied data within HTML contexts.