CVE-2018-8974 in MicrobeTRACE
Summary
by MITRE
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MicrobeTRACE 0.1.11 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code, related to code injection via a crafted CSV file with an initial 'Source<script type="text/javascript" src=' line.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8974 affects the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MicrobeTRACE 0.1.11 software, which is designed for infectious disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. This critical security flaw represents a code injection vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes specially crafted CSV files that contain malicious payloads within their initial content. The attack vector exploits the application's insufficient input validation mechanisms, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code directly into the system through seemingly benign data files.
The technical flaw resides in the application's handling of CSV file imports without proper sanitization of input data. When a malicious CSV file is processed, the system fails to adequately validate or escape the content before rendering or executing any embedded code. The vulnerability specifically targets the initial line of the CSV file where an attacker can inject a crafted script tag containing a malicious JavaScript payload. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-94, which describes "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript." The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and output encoding practices that are fundamental to preventing code injection attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted for organizations using MicrobeTRACE 0.1.11. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain complete control over affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and disruption of critical public health surveillance operations. Given that the software is used for infectious disease tracking and outbreak response, the compromise of such systems could have serious implications for public health security. Attackers could potentially exfiltrate sensitive epidemiological data, disrupt surveillance operations, or use compromised systems as launch points for further attacks within healthcare networks. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access to systems, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability including upgrading to patched versions of MicrobeTRACE software, implementing strict input validation for all CSV file imports, and deploying network monitoring solutions to detect suspicious script injection attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted code and ensure that all file processing operations include proper sanitization and validation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices, particularly in applications handling sensitive data, and demonstrates the critical need for input validation in web applications. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in their systems, as this flaw represents a common pattern in web application security that has been documented in numerous other systems throughout the industry.