CVE-2018-2383 in Internet Graphics Server
Summary
by MITRE
Reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability in SAP internet Graphics Server, 7.20, 7.20EXT, 7.45, 7.49, 7.53.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2383 represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw within SAP Internet Graphics Server components across multiple versions including 7.20, 7.20EXT, 7.45, 7.49, and 7.53. This vulnerability resides in the server's handling of user input parameters that are directly reflected back to clients without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The issue stems from insufficient validation of HTTP request parameters that are processed and returned to users in the server's response, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes within the victim's browser context.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing specially crafted script payloads in parameters that are processed by the SAP Internet Graphics Server. When a victim clicks such a link, the server reflects the malicious script back in its response, which then executes in the victim's browser session. This type of attack falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities where improper validation of input allows malicious scripts to be executed. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload is not stored on the server but rather reflected back in response to a user's request, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that do not properly encode output.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies or authentication tokens from authenticated users, leading to unauthorized access to SAP systems and sensitive business data. The vulnerability's presence in multiple SAP Internet Graphics Server versions indicates a widespread exposure across enterprise environments that rely on SAP solutions for business processes and data management. This creates significant risk for organizations that have not yet patched their systems, as the attack surface remains broad and accessible to threat actors who may leverage this vulnerability as part of broader attack campaigns.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant SAP security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by filtering suspicious requests containing known malicious patterns. Input validation and output encoding should be enforced at the application level to prevent reflected XSS attacks, with proper sanitization of all user-supplied parameters before they are processed or returned in responses. Security monitoring and log analysis should be enhanced to detect suspicious traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers spearphishing attachments and links, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through crafted web links that appear legitimate to end users. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential entry points and ensure their SAP environments maintain proper security configurations and access controls to minimize the overall attack surface.