CVE-2018-8978 in Open-AudIT Professional
Summary
by MITRE
Open-AudIT Professional 2.1 has XSS via a crafted src attribute of an IMG element within a URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8978 affects Open-AudIT Professional version 2.1 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw that arises from improper input validation within the application's handling of image source attributes. This vulnerability specifically manifests when a malicious actor crafts a URI containing an img element with a malicious src attribute, allowing unauthorized code execution within the context of a victim's browser session. The flaw resides in the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited across multiple user interactions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's insufficient validation of the src attribute parameter within image tags that are processed as part of URI handling. When the application receives a crafted URI containing an img element with a malicious src value, it fails to properly escape or filter the input before displaying it in the user interface. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised system. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a common web application security flaw that occurs when user-controllable data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on Open-AudIT Professional for network auditing and asset management. An attacker could exploit this flaw to steal administrative credentials, gain unauthorized access to sensitive network information, or redirect users to malicious sites that could further compromise their systems. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as the vulnerability could enable attackers to establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication and can be delivered through various means including phishing emails, compromised websites, or malicious network traffic, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network auditing tools are frequently accessed by multiple users with varying privilege levels.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the Open-AudIT Professional application to the latest version that addresses the XSS flaw. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their web applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components. Network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious input patterns associated with XSS attacks. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential injection points within the application's architecture. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include both perimeter security controls and application-level protections. Security teams should also establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized before being processed or rendered within the application interface. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers script-based execution through web shell commands and highlights the necessity of robust input validation across all web application components.