CVE-2018-6958 in vRealize Automation
Summary
by MITRE
VMware vRealize Automation (vRA) prior to 7.3.1 contains a vulnerability that may allow for a DOM-based cross-site scripting (XSS) attack. Exploitation of this issue may lead to the compromise of the vRA user s workstation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6958 affects VMware vRealize Automation versions prior to 7.3.1, representing a critical security flaw that exposes users to potential DOM-based cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability resides within the web interface of the vRA platform, which serves as a central management console for cloud infrastructure provisioning and automation tasks. The affected system operates as a web-based application that processes user inputs through browser-side JavaScript execution, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can inject harmful scripts into the DOM environment. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters that are subsequently reflected in the browser context without adequate encoding or validation mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this DOM-based XSS vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input that gets processed by the vRA application's JavaScript code and subsequently executed within the victim's browser session. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates how improper input validation can lead to complete session hijacking and unauthorized access to sensitive infrastructure management functions. The attack vector typically involves sending a specially crafted URL or form submission that contains malicious JavaScript payloads, which are then executed in the context of a legitimate user's browser session. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to execute arbitrary code within the user's browser, potentially enabling them to steal session cookies, capture keystrokes, or redirect users to malicious sites that can further compromise their workstations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete compromise of the user's workstation through session hijacking and credential theft. When an authenticated user accesses the vulnerable vRA interface, the attacker's malicious script can intercept and exfiltrate sensitive information, including API tokens, session identifiers, and potentially administrative credentials that would grant broader access to the entire vRA environment. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1531, which describes the use of malicious code to access and extract credentials from compromised systems. The compromise of a single user's session can potentially provide attackers with access to cloud provisioning capabilities, allowing them to deploy malicious infrastructure, modify existing resources, or gain access to other systems within the virtualized environment that the vRA manages. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where vRA serves as a central hub for managing complex cloud infrastructures and automated deployment workflows.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to VMware vRealize Automation version 7.3.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the DOM-based XSS vulnerability. Additional defensive measures include implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application, deploying content security policies to limit script execution, and conducting regular security assessments of the vRA environment. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper web application security practices and the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software versions to protect against known exploits. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious user activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations with multiple vRA instances should ensure consistent patch management across all environments to prevent attackers from targeting the weakest link in their infrastructure management stack. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of securing web-based administrative interfaces and the potential consequences of failing to address known security flaws in enterprise infrastructure management platforms.