CVE-2018-7427 in Splunk
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Splunk Web in Splunk Enterprise 6.0.x before 6.0.14, 6.1.x before 6.1.13, 6.2.x before 6.2.14, 6.3.x before 6.3.10, 6.4.x before 6.4.7, and 6.5.x before 6.5.3; and Splunk Light before 6.6.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2023
The CVE-2018-7427 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Splunk Web interfaces across multiple versions of Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Light deployments. This vulnerability resides in the web application layer of Splunk's monitoring and analytics platform, where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to web clients. The flaw affects versions spanning from 6.0.x through 6.5.x releases, with specific patch versions outlined for each major release line, indicating a widespread issue that impacted organizations relying on Splunk for log management, security monitoring, and operational intelligence. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data processed through the Splunk platform.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within Splunk Web's user interface components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious JavaScript code or HTML content through unspecified input vectors that typically involve user-supplied parameters, search queries, or configuration inputs. The vulnerability manifests when the web application fails to properly escape or filter user-provided data before displaying it in web pages, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browser sessions. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, where the malicious script could be delivered through crafted search parameters or dashboard configurations. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in environments where Splunk is used for security monitoring, as attackers could potentially intercept sensitive log data, credentials, or operational information from authenticated users.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7427 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the Splunk environment. Organizations using Splunk for security operations and log analysis face significant risk of unauthorized access to their monitoring infrastructure, potentially allowing attackers to view sensitive operational data, modify search results, or manipulate dashboards to hide malicious activities. The vulnerability affects both Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Light deployments, meaning that organizations using either product line could be compromised, with the attack surface expanding to include various user roles from standard analysts to administrators. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access within monitored environments, particularly in security operations centers where Splunk is used for threat detection and incident response. The impact is further compounded by the fact that Splunk is often integrated with other security tools and systems, potentially allowing attackers to use the compromised Splunk instance as a pivot point for broader network attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7427 require immediate patching of affected Splunk installations to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should prioritize updating their Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Light deployments to the latest available patches, specifically targeting versions 6.0.14, 6.1.13, 6.2.14, 6.3.10, 6.4.7, and 6.5.3 for their respective release lines. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of Splunk web interfaces to untrusted networks, while monitoring for suspicious search queries or dashboard modifications should be enabled. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify potentially compromised systems and implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious search queries or dashboard configurations that may contain malicious content, as the vulnerability can be exploited through legitimate user interactions with Splunk web interfaces. The remediation process should also include reviewing and strengthening input validation mechanisms within Splunk configurations, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed within the web application layer.