CVE-2018-8900 in LDK RTE
Summary
by MITRE
The License Manager service of HASP SRM, Sentinel HASP and Sentinel LDK products prior to Sentinel LDK RTE 7.80 allows remote attackers to inject malicious web script in the logs page of Admin Control Center (ACC) for cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8900 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the License Manager service of HASP SRM, Sentinel HASP, and Sentinel LDK products. This vulnerability specifically affects systems prior to Sentinel LDK RTE 7.80 and resides in the Admin Control Center (ACC) logs page functionality. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts that can execute within the context of a victim's browser when viewing the logs page, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these licensing management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the ACC logs page component. When legitimate users access the logs page to review system activities, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input that gets reflected back in the web interface. This occurs because the system does not adequately filter or escape special characters in log entries that might contain malicious script code, allowing attackers to craft specially formatted log entries or manipulate existing log data to inject javascript payloads. The vulnerability manifests when these malicious scripts are subsequently rendered in the browser, potentially executing in the context of the logged-in user's session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities within the targeted environment. An attacker could leverage this XSS vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface the administrative interface, or even execute commands within the context of the ACC application. The implications are particularly severe for license management systems where administrative access provides broad control over software licensing policies and system configurations. This vulnerability could potentially lead to unauthorized license modifications, complete administrative takeover, or facilitate further attacks within the network infrastructure that relies on these licensing systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the installation of Sentinel LDK RTE 7.80 or later versions that contain the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the ACC interface to trusted administrative networks only. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in log entries that might indicate attempted exploitation. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting and T1566 for credential access through web-based attacks. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other components of the licensing infrastructure.