CVE-2021-35451 in PCoIP Management Console
Summary
by MITRE • 07/07/2021
In Teradici PCoIP Management Console-Enterprise 20.07.0, an unauthenticated user can inject arbitrary text into user browser via the Web application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-35451 affects Teradici PCoIP Management Console-Enterprise version 20.07.0, representing a critical security flaw that enables unauthenticated attackers to perform cross-site scripting attacks through the web application interface. This vulnerability resides within the application's input validation mechanisms, specifically in how it processes user-supplied data within web responses. The flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious text content directly into the browser environment of authenticated users without requiring any prior authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user inputs within the web application's response handling. When the PCoIP Management Console processes certain HTTP requests or parameters, it fails to properly validate and escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into web page responses. This creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious scripts or content that gets executed within the browser context of legitimate users. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a reflected XSS attack vector where malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user's browser. According to the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 - Phishing with Malicious Attachments, as it enables attackers to craft malicious web content that can be delivered to users through the compromised application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable more sophisticated attack chains. An attacker could potentially use this vector to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even deliver additional payloads that exploit other vulnerabilities within the browser environment. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that threat actors do not need to compromise legitimate user credentials to initiate exploitation, significantly lowering the attack threshold. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where the PCoIP Management Console serves as a critical component for remote desktop management, potentially providing attackers with access to sensitive infrastructure management interfaces.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the vendor's security advisory or patch release for the affected version. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application to prevent user-supplied data from being executed as code. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit exposure of the affected console to only authorized personnel. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of defense against script injection attacks. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous patterns in web application traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls specifically configured to detect and block XSS attack patterns targeting the affected system.