CVE-2019-18942 in Solutions Business Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 02/26/2021
Micro Focus Solutions Business Manager versions prior to 11.7.1 are vulnerable to stored XSS. The application reflects previously stored user input without encoding.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2021
Micro Focus Solutions Business Manager version 11.7.1 and earlier contains a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's user interface through persisted input fields. This vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize and encode user-supplied data before storing and subsequently reflecting it back to users. The flaw exists in the application's input validation mechanisms, where user-provided content is stored in the backend database without adequate sanitization processes that would prevent the execution of malicious code when the data is rendered back to authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's handling of user input through various form fields and data entry points within the business manager interface. When users submit content that contains malicious script tags or other potentially harmful code, the system stores this data without proper encoding or sanitization. During subsequent page renders or data displays, the stored content is reflected back to users without appropriate HTML escaping or output encoding, creating an environment where attacker-controlled scripts can execute within the context of the victim's browser session. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the application's database and affects multiple users who view the affected content, unlike reflected XSS which requires specific user interaction with a malicious link.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by attackers to perform various malicious activities within the application's security context. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, modify application content, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users with the privileges of the compromised account. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where business manager applications often contain sensitive business data and may be used by multiple authorized personnel with varying levels of access permissions. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, while the ATT&CK framework would categorize this under T1531 - Account Access Removal and potentially T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter for any malicious code execution that occurs as a result of the XSS payload.
Mitigation strategies for this stored XSS vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Micro Focus Business Manager version 11.7.1 or later, which includes proper sanitization and encoding controls to prevent malicious script injection. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers, input validation libraries, and regular security code reviews can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other application components. The application should also implement proper output encoding for all user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, ensuring that any potentially harmful characters are properly escaped or removed during the data presentation phase. Security teams should conduct regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify other potential XSS vectors within the application ecosystem and implement web application firewalls to provide additional layers of protection against such attacks.