CVE-2019-9542 in Automated Message Handling System
Summary
by MITRE
: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in itemlookup.asp of Telos Automated Message Handling System allows a remote attacker to inject arbitrary script into an AMHS session. This issue affects: Telos Automated Message Handling System versions prior to 4.1.5.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9542 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Telos Automated Message Handling System that exposes organizations to significant security risks. This weakness resides in the itemlookup.asp component of the AMHS platform, where input validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web page generation processes. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive communications handled by the system.
This vulnerability specifically manifests as an improper neutralization of input during web page generation, which directly aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. The issue occurs when the system fails to adequately escape or filter special characters from user input, allowing attackers to inject HTML, JavaScript, or other malicious code that gets rendered in subsequent web pages. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates within the AMHS session context, meaning that successful exploitation could enable attackers to access privileged information, manipulate message flows, or escalate their access within the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-9542 extends beyond simple script injection, as it represents a fundamental weakness in the system's input handling architecture that could be exploited to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, or unauthorized access to automated message handling processes. Organizations relying on Telos AMHS for critical communications may face severe consequences including unauthorized message interception, modification of automated workflows, or complete compromise of their message handling infrastructure. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to 4.1.5.5, indicating that a substantial portion of deployed systems would remain vulnerable, creating widespread exposure across organizations using legacy implementations.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability primarily involves immediate patching to version 4.1.5.5 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Security administrators should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including web application firewalls, application-level filters, and proper HTML escaping routines. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their AMHS implementations to identify and remediate similar input validation weaknesses. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables attackers to execute malicious JavaScript within user sessions. Organizations should also implement principle of least privilege controls and monitor for suspicious script execution patterns within their message handling environments to detect potential exploitation attempts.