CVE-2018-6590 in API Developer Portal
Summary
by MITRE
CA API Developer Portal 4.x, prior to v4.2.5.3 and v4.2.7.1, has an unspecified reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6590 affects CA API Developer Portal versions prior to 4.2.5.3 and 4.2.7.1, representing a critical security flaw that exposes the platform to reflected cross-site scripting attacks. This issue resides within the web application's input validation mechanisms, where user-supplied data is inadequately sanitized before being returned to users in HTTP responses. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that malicious actors can craft URLs containing malicious script code that gets executed in the victim's browser when the URL is accessed, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that process user input directly in their response handling.
The technical implementation flaw stems from insufficient output encoding and input validation practices within the API portal's web interface components. When the application processes parameters from HTTP requests and incorporates them directly into HTML responses without proper sanitization, it creates an environment where attacker-controlled content can be interpreted as executable JavaScript code by web browsers. This vulnerability typically occurs in areas where the application echoes user input back to the browser, such as search functionality, error messages, or parameter handling in API documentation interfaces. The weakness aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and represents a classic example of how improper input handling can lead to severe client-side exploitation opportunities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the context of the victim's browser session. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal sensitive API keys, access restricted endpoints, manipulate user sessions, or even redirect users to malicious sites for phishing attacks. Given that the CA API Developer Portal serves as an interface for API management and developer access, successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges to manipulate API configurations, access protected documentation, or potentially gain access to backend systems that are not directly exposed to the internet. This represents a significant risk to organizations that rely on the portal for managing their API ecosystem and developer access controls.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided patches for versions 4.2.5.3 and 4.2.7.1, which address the reflected XSS vulnerability through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious script payloads in HTTP requests, while also implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure, and development teams should adopt secure coding practices including proper input sanitization, output encoding, and comprehensive testing for XSS vulnerabilities. The remediation approach should align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection, emphasizing the importance of validating and sanitizing all user inputs before processing them within the application context.