CVE-2020-28859 in Digital Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2020
OpenAsset Digital Asset Management (DAM) through 12.0.19 does not correctly sanitize user supplied input in multiple parameters and endpoints, allowing for reflected cross-site scripting attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2020
OpenAsset Digital Asset Management version 12.0.19 and earlier contains a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability that stems from inadequate input sanitization across multiple parameters and endpoints within the application's web interface. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious links, email attachments, or compromised web pages that redirect users to vulnerable endpoints.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic reflected XSS pattern where user input flows directly from HTTP request parameters to the web response without proper sanitization or encoding. Attackers can construct malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when executed by a victim's browser, can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing unauthorized commands within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability affects multiple endpoints and parameters within the DAM system, indicating a systemic issue in the application's input validation mechanisms rather than a single isolated flaw. This widespread nature suggests that the development team failed to implement consistent security controls across the application's interface, creating multiple entry points for potential exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to the digital asset management system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive digital assets, or use the compromised system as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The reflected nature of the attack means that victims must be tricked into clicking malicious links, but once executed, the scripts can operate with the privileges of the victim user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics that leverage reflected cross-site scripting to gain unauthorized access to systems. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious payloads that appear legitimate to users, leveraging the trust relationship between the user and the application to execute unauthorized code.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all user-facing parameters and endpoints. The most effective immediate fix involves implementing proper sanitization routines that escape or filter potentially dangerous characters and patterns from user input before rendering any content. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed and deploy Web Application Firewalls to detect and block suspicious traffic patterns. Additionally, regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. The fix should be implemented following secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations, particularly focusing on input validation, output encoding, and proper error handling to prevent similar issues from emerging in future releases.