CVE-2018-7064 in Instant
Summary
by MITRE
A reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability is present in an unauthenticated Aruba Instant web interface. An attacker could use this vulnerability to trick an IAP administrator into clicking a link which could then take administrative actions on the Instant cluster, or expose the session cookie for an administrative session. Workaround: Administrators should make sure they log out of the Aruba Instant UI when not actively managing the system, and should use caution clicking links from external sources while logged into the IAP administrative interface. Resolution: Fixed in Aruba Instant 4.2.4.12, 6.5.4.11, 8.3.0.6, and 8.4.0.0
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7064 represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the Aruba Instant web interface, which operates without requiring authentication. This weakness exists in the unauthenticated portion of the Aruba Instant Access Point (IAP) administrative web interface, creating a significant security risk for network administrators who manage these systems. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's response handling, allowing maliciously crafted payloads to be executed in the context of an administrator's browser session.
This reflected XSS vulnerability operates by tricking an IAP administrator into clicking a maliciously crafted link that contains a cross-site scripting payload. When the administrator clicks such a link while authenticated to the Aruba Instant web interface, the malicious script executes in their browser context and can perform various unauthorized actions. The attack vector leverages the web interface's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters before reflecting them back in HTTP responses, which is a classic pattern for reflected XSS attacks and aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it could potentially allow attackers to perform administrative actions on the Instant cluster without proper authorization. The exposure of session cookies represents a particularly dangerous aspect of this vulnerability, as it could enable session hijacking attacks where an attacker gains full administrative privileges to the IAP cluster. This risk is compounded by the fact that administrators often maintain long-lived sessions while managing network infrastructure, making them more susceptible to such attacks. The vulnerability effectively undermines the security model of the web interface, as it allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit authenticated sessions through social engineering techniques.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2018-7064 requires administrators to implement both procedural and technical controls to protect against exploitation. The recommended workaround emphasizes the importance of session management practices, specifically requiring administrators to log out of the Aruba Instant UI when not actively managing the system. This practice reduces the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit the vulnerability, as it minimizes the duration of potentially vulnerable authenticated sessions. Additionally, administrators should exercise extreme caution when clicking links from external sources while logged into the IAP administrative interface, as this behavior directly addresses the social engineering component of the attack vector. The vendor resolution addresses the core issue through software updates, with fixed versions available in Aruba Instant 4.2.4.12, 6.5.4.11, 8.3.0.6, and 8.4.0.0, which implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent reflected XSS attacks. This remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as the fix prevents malicious script execution through the web interface. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of these patches to protect their network infrastructure from potential exploitation, as the vulnerability creates a direct path for attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized control over critical network devices. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the updated software to ensure that the XSS protections are properly implemented without introducing regressions in functionality.