CVE-2020-5838 in IT Analytics
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec IT Analytics, prior to 2.9.1, may be susceptible to a cross-site scripting (XSS) exploit, which is a type of issue that can potentially enable attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2020
Symantec IT Analytics version 2.9.1 and earlier contains a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security weakness in web application defenses. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages that are subsequently executed by other users who view those pages. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web interface, creating an attack surface where untrusted data is directly rendered without proper sanitization. This issue affects the application's user interface components that handle dynamic content generation, particularly in areas where user-supplied data is processed and displayed. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious websites. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are submitted through web forms, URL parameters, or other input vectors that the application fails to properly validate or escape.
The operational impact of this XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable more sophisticated attack chains within the IT analytics environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially access sensitive operational data, manipulate analytics reports, or gain unauthorized access to other system components that are part of the same security domain. The attack surface is particularly significant in enterprise environments where IT analytics platforms process and display sensitive operational metrics, system performance data, and user activity information. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including reflected XSS in URL parameters, stored XSS in user input fields, or DOM-based XSS in JavaScript processing. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and can be used as a stepping stone for further exploitation within the network environment. The impact is amplified when considering that IT analytics platforms often contain privileged information and may be integrated with other enterprise systems that could be compromised through this initial attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all user-facing interfaces. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Symantec IT Analytics version 2.9.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this XSS weakness. Additionally, implementing proper Content Security Policy headers, input sanitization mechanisms, and regular security code reviews can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The remediation process should include thorough testing of all web application components to ensure that no other XSS vulnerabilities exist within the platform. Security teams should also implement monitoring and detection mechanisms to identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten security requirements. Organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in their web applications. The fix for this vulnerability typically involves implementing proper HTML escaping, JavaScript encoding, and input validation techniques that prevent malicious scripts from being executed in the context of legitimate user sessions.