CVE-2018-6495 in Universal CMDB
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Micro Focus Universal CMDB, version 10.20, 10.21, 10.22, 10.30, 10.31, 10.32, 10.33, 11.0, CMS, version 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.14, 4.15.1 and Micro Focus UCMDB Browser, version 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.14, 4.15.1. This vulnerability could be remotely exploited to allow Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6495 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple versions of Micro Focus Universal CMDB and CMS products. This security weakness resides in the web application interface of these enterprise configuration management tools, which are widely deployed for managing complex IT environments and service catalogs. The affected versions include Universal CMDB 10.20 through 11.0 and CMS 4.10 through 4.15.1, along with their corresponding browser components, creating a substantial attack surface across various enterprise monitoring and management platforms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's user interface components.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when malicious input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to users in web responses. Attackers can inject malicious scripts through various input vectors including form fields, URL parameters, or API endpoints that are processed by the Universal CMDB web interface. When legitimate users view pages containing the maliciously injected scripts, these scripts execute in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially compromising user credentials, session tokens, or enabling unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data. The vulnerability specifically affects the browser-based components of these tools, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users interact with the same management interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking and privilege escalation within the affected systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive configuration data, modify system settings, or even impersonate legitimate users within the Universal CMDB environment. This poses significant risks to enterprise IT governance and compliance requirements, as configuration management databases often contain critical information about system architectures, dependencies, and security configurations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to the systems, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments or distributed enterprise networks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls, output encoding mechanisms, and web application firewalls to protect against exploitation attempts. The affected products should be updated to versions that include proper XSS protection measures, with patch management procedures prioritized for systems containing sensitive configuration data. Security teams should also implement monitoring for suspicious input patterns and conduct regular security assessments of web interfaces. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security training for administrators to reduce the risk of successful exploitation through social engineering or other attack vectors.