CVE-2021-25656 in Aura Experience Portal
Summary
by MITRE • 06/24/2021
Stored XSS injection vulnerabilities were discovered in the Avaya Aura Experience Portal Web management which could allow an authenticated user to potentially disclose sensitive information. Affected versions include 7.0 through 7.2.3 (without hotfix) and 8.0.0 (without hotfix).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2021-25656 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Avaya Aura Experience Portal Web management interface. This security weakness affects organizations utilizing Avaya's unified communications platform, specifically targeting versions 7.0 through 7.2.3 and 8.0.0 when deployed without applicable hotfixes. The flaw resides in the web management component of the Experience Portal, which serves as the administrative interface for configuring and managing the communication platform's various services and user access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the web management interface. When authenticated users submit maliciously crafted payloads through form fields or parameter inputs, these inputs are stored within the application's database without proper sanitization. Subsequently, when other users access the affected web interface or view pages containing the stored malicious content, the injected scripts execute in their browser context. This stored nature differentiates the vulnerability from reflected XSS attacks, as the malicious code persists and affects multiple users over time. The vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is used in a web page without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables authenticated attackers with legitimate user credentials to potentially extract sensitive information from the web management interface. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, access administrative functions, or extract user credentials and configuration details from the platform. The authenticated requirement means that attackers must first compromise legitimate user accounts or gain access through other attack vectors, but once achieved, the stored XSS allows for persistent access to sensitive administrative functions. This weakness creates a significant risk for organizations managing critical communication infrastructure, as it could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to voice and video communication services.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided hotfixes for the affected versions, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting comprehensive input validation across all user-facing web interfaces. Network segmentation and privileged access controls should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Security teams should also implement regular vulnerability scanning and monitoring of the web management interface for suspicious activities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 for Phishing and T1071 for Application Layer Protocol, with potential lateral movement capabilities once the initial compromise occurs through the stored XSS payload execution. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across their communication infrastructure.