CVE-2019-18273 in PI Vision
Summary
by MITRE
OSIsoft PI Vision, PI Vision 2017 R2 and PI Vision 2017 R2 SP1. The affected product is vulnerable to cross-site scripting, which may allow invalid input to be introduced.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-18273 affects OSIsoft PI Vision versions 2017 R2 and 2017 R2 SP1, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security integrity of industrial monitoring and data visualization platforms. This vulnerability resides within the web-based interface of PI Vision, which is widely deployed in industrial environments for real-time data monitoring and visualization of operational technology systems. The affected product serves as a critical component in process automation and industrial control systems where secure data presentation is paramount for operational safety and business continuity.
The technical flaw manifests as insufficient input validation within the PI Vision web interface, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious scripts through user-controllable input fields. This weakness enables attackers to execute unauthorized code within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive operational data. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of user-supplied data that is subsequently rendered in web pages without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a common weakness in web applications where untrusted data is improperly handled and executed as code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical web application security concerns, particularly within industrial control systems where PI Vision serves as a critical interface for monitoring and controlling industrial processes. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to operational data, manipulate real-time visualizations, or redirect users to malicious sites that could further compromise the industrial network. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that PI Vision is often deployed in environments where it may be accessible from both internal networks and external interfaces, increasing the attack surface exposure. The vulnerability could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code in the browser context of authenticated users, potentially leading to privilege escalation or data exfiltration from industrial systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-18273 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from OSIsoft, as this represents a critical vulnerability requiring urgent attention. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious script injection, aligning with defensive coding practices recommended by the OWASP Top Ten project and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit exposure of PI Vision interfaces to untrusted networks. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous script injection attempts, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in industrial control system interfaces. The remediation process should also include user education to prevent social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for web application attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar scripting vulnerabilities in industrial environments.