CVE-2019-13077 in KACE Systems Management Appliance Server Center
Summary
by MITRE
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance Server Center 9.1.317 has an XSS vulnerability (via the sam_detail_titled.php SAM_TYPE parameter) that allows an attacker to create a malicious link in order to attack authenticated users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2024
The Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance Server Center version 9.1.317 contains a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on this system management platform. This vulnerability specifically affects the sam_detail_titled.php endpoint where the SAM_TYPE parameter is improperly handled, creating an entry point for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code against authenticated users within the system's administrative environment. The flaw exists within the server-side input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of legitimate user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient output encoding and input validation practices within the web application framework. When the SAM_TYPE parameter is processed through the sam_detail_titled.php script, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This weakness aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities resulting from inadequate input validation and output encoding. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when clicked by authenticated administrators or users with appropriate privileges, will execute in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets authenticated users, meaning that successful exploitation could allow attackers to perform actions with the privileges of the compromised user, potentially leading to full system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive system information, manipulate data, or redirect users to malicious sites. Given that the KACE appliance serves as a central management platform for system administration tasks, successful exploitation could provide attackers with access to critical infrastructure management capabilities. The vulnerability affects the authentication context, meaning that attackers do not need to bypass authentication mechanisms but can instead exploit the trust relationship between the legitimate user and the web application. This characteristic makes the attack vector particularly insidious as it operates within the normal expected behavior of the system, making detection more difficult and increasing the potential for prolonged unauthorized access. The attack typically follows the pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under technique T1566, where adversaries leverage web-based attacks to compromise systems through social engineering or direct exploitation of web application vulnerabilities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent the injection of malicious content into the sam_detail_titled.php endpoint. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, and implementing proper HTML escaping mechanisms for all output. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies that restrict script execution within the application context, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security updates and patch management procedures should be enforced, as this vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases of the Quest KACE appliance. Network segmentation and privileged access controls can also help limit the potential impact should exploitation occur, while comprehensive monitoring of user activities and web application logs can aid in detecting anomalous behavior that may indicate successful exploitation attempts.