CVE-2018-7976 in eSpace Desktop
Summary
by MITRE
There is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Huawei eSpace Desktop V300R001C00 and V300R001C50 version. Due to the insufficient validation of the input, an authenticated, remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to send abnormal messages to the system and perform a XSS attack. A successful exploit could cause the eSpace Desktop to hang up, and the function will restore to normal after restarting the eSpace Desktop.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7976 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw in Huawei eSpace Desktop software versions V300R001C00 and V300R001C50. This security weakness resides in the insufficient input validation mechanisms that govern how the system processes user-supplied data within the messaging functionality. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated remote attackers who can leverage this flaw to inject malicious scripts into the system through crafted message inputs. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious payloads are persisted within the application's database or storage mechanisms, making them particularly dangerous as they can affect multiple users who subsequently interact with the compromised content. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.008 for script injection attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated attacker sends specially crafted messages through the eSpace Desktop interface. These messages contain malicious script code that gets stored within the system's message handling infrastructure. When other users view these stored messages, the embedded scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized actions such as session hijacking, data exfiltration, or redirection to malicious websites. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as the vulnerability can cause the eSpace Desktop application to become unresponsive or hang up completely. This operational degradation significantly impacts business continuity and communication services, particularly in enterprise environments where unified communications platforms are critical for daily operations. The fact that normal functionality only resumes after a complete restart of the eSpace Desktop application indicates a severe system stability issue that could be exploited for denial-of-service attacks.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are substantial for organizations using Huawei eSpace Desktop solutions, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to broader system infiltration. Attackers could use this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive communication data, monitor user activities, or escalate privileges within the communication environment. The authentication requirement for exploitation provides some protection but does not eliminate the risk, as compromised user accounts or social engineering attacks could still lead to successful exploitation. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation, monitoring for unusual messaging patterns, and conducting regular security assessments of their unified communications infrastructure to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping unified communications platforms updated with the latest security patches, as this issue was addressed in subsequent software releases. Security teams should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly identify and remediate stored XSS vulnerabilities in communication systems, particularly those that may affect mission-critical business applications.