CVE-2020-14408 in Cockpit
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Agentejo Cockpit 0.10.2. Insufficient sanitization of the to parameter in the /auth/login route allows for injection of arbitrary JavaScript code into a web page's content, creating a Reflected XSS attack vector.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14408 resides within Agentejo Cockpit version 0.10.2, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the application's input validation mechanisms. This issue manifests in the authentication login endpoint where the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input through the to parameter, creating an exploitable condition that enables attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into web page content. The flaw specifically affects the /auth/login route, which serves as the primary entry point for user authentication within the Cockpit CMS system, making it a high-value target for exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization practices within the application's authentication flow. When users attempt to log in and are redirected to a page specified by the to parameter, the application fails to validate or escape the input before incorporating it into the response. This oversight creates a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability where malicious actors can craft URLs containing JavaScript payloads that execute in the context of authenticated users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack because the malicious code is reflected back to the user through the application's response rather than being stored on the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, credential theft, and arbitrary code execution within the victim's browser context. An attacker could craft a malicious URL that, when clicked by an authenticated user, would execute JavaScript code that steals session cookies, redirects users to phishing pages, or performs actions on behalf of the authenticated user. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that exploitation requires social engineering to convince victims to click malicious links, but once executed, the attack can compromise user sessions and potentially escalate to full system compromise. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness that occurs when an application includes untrusted data in a web page without proper validation or escaping.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-14408 must focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's authentication flow. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-supplied input to the to parameter in the /auth/login route, ensuring that any potentially malicious content is either rejected or properly escaped before being incorporated into web responses. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and employ proper input validation libraries that can identify and neutralize malicious payloads. Additionally, the application should validate the to parameter against a whitelist of approved redirect URLs or ensure that any redirect destinations are properly encoded to prevent script execution. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which describes the use of malicious redirects to gain access to user sessions and data. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns and ensure that all Cockpit installations are updated to versions that address this specific vulnerability. The remediation process should include thorough code review of all authentication endpoints and input handling mechanisms to prevent similar issues from occurring in other parts of the application.