CVE-2018-8763 in LDAP Account Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Roland Gruber Softwareentwicklung LDAP Account Manager before 6.3 has XSS via the dn parameter to the templates/3rdParty/pla/htdocs/cmd.php URI or the template parameter to the templates/3rdParty/pla/htdocs/cmd.php?cmd=rename_form URI.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2018-8763 represents a cross-site scripting weakness discovered in Roland Gruber Softwareentwicklung LDAP Account Manager versions prior to 6.3. This security flaw exists within the web interface of the LDAP Account Manager application, specifically affecting the handling of user input parameters in two distinct pathways. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, creating opportunities for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through two primary attack vectors involving the LDAP Account Manager's command processing functionality. The first pathway involves the dn parameter in the templates/3rdParty/pla/htdocs/cmd.php URI, while the second involves the template parameter within the templates/3rdParty/pla/htdocs/cmd.php?cmd=rename_form URI. Both vectors demonstrate a classic input validation and output encoding failure where user-provided data flows directly into HTML output without proper sanitization. This represents a CWE-79 vulnerability classification, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform a range of malicious activities within the context of authenticated users. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify page content, or even execute administrative actions if the victim has elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects the web-based interface of the LDAP Account Manager, which is commonly used for managing directory services, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where directory access controls are critical. The attack requires minimal privileges since it targets the web interface rather than requiring direct system access or authentication bypasses.
Security practitioners should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to LDAP Account Manager version 6.3 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding measures. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing proper parameter validation at the application level, utilizing context-specific output encoding for all user-supplied data, and considering web application firewalls as additional protective layers. Organizations should conduct thorough security testing of their LDAP management interfaces and implement security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to execute malicious code through web-based interfaces, potentially leading to further compromise of directory services and associated systems.