CVE-2021-35496 in JasperReports Server
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2021
The XMLA Connections component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO JasperReports Server, TIBCO JasperReports Server, TIBCO JasperReports Server, TIBCO JasperReports Server, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Community Edition, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Developer Edition, TIBCO JasperReports Server for AWS Marketplace, TIBCO JasperReports Server for ActiveMatrix BPM, and TIBCO JasperReports Server for Microsoft Azure contains a difficult to exploit vulnerability that allows a low privileged attacker with network access to interfere with XML processing in the affected component. A successful attack using this vulnerability requires human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Affected releases are TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO JasperReports Server: versions 7.2.1 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server: versions 7.5.0 and 7.5.1, TIBCO JasperReports Server: version 7.8.0, TIBCO JasperReports Server: version 7.9.0, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Community Edition: versions 7.8.0 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Developer Edition: versions 7.9.0 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server for AWS Marketplace: versions 7.9.0 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server for ActiveMatrix BPM: versions 7.9.0 and below, and TIBCO JasperReports Server for Microsoft Azure: version 7.8.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-35496 resides within the XMLA Connections component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s JasperReports Server product line, representing a medium severity issue that demonstrates the ongoing challenges organizations face with XML processing security in business intelligence platforms. This vulnerability specifically affects multiple variants of the JasperReports Server including community, developer, AWS Marketplace, ActiveMatrix BPM, and Microsoft Azure editions, indicating a widespread impact across TIBCO's product ecosystem. The flaw manifests as a difficulty in exploitation scenario that requires specific conditions to be met, making it less likely to be automatically weaponized but still potentially dangerous when combined with social engineering tactics.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves XML processing interference within the XMLA Connections component, which serves as a gateway for analytical data access and reporting functionalities. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of XML external entity processing issues, where malicious actors could potentially manipulate how XML data is processed and interpreted by the server. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and CWE-829 (Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Source), as it involves the processing of external XML entities that could be manipulated by attackers. The specific context of the vulnerability suggests that the XMLA component lacks proper validation mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access to external resources during XML processing operations.
Operational impact assessment reveals that while the vulnerability requires human interaction beyond simple network access, this makes it particularly concerning for organizations with less security-aware employees or those operating in environments with social engineering threats. The requirement for human interaction typically means that attackers must convince legitimate users to perform specific actions such as clicking malicious links, opening compromised documents, or following instructions that lead to the exploitation. This human factor component aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers would likely need to employ social engineering approaches to achieve successful exploitation. The affected versions span multiple release lines including 7.2.1 and below, 7.5.0 and 7.5.1, 7.8.0, 7.9.0, and various edition-specific versions, indicating a broad attack surface that organizations must consider when planning their security updates and patch management strategies.
Organizations utilizing affected JasperReports Server versions should prioritize immediate patching of their systems to address this vulnerability, as the potential for exploitation exists when combined with social engineering tactics. The vulnerability's characteristics suggest that defensive measures should include network segmentation, monitoring for unusual XML processing activities, and user education programs to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks. Additionally, implementing proper XML processing validation controls, restricting external resource access, and maintaining up-to-date security monitoring solutions can help mitigate potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious XML processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as requiring human interaction provides an opportunity for organizations to strengthen their overall security posture through user awareness training while simultaneously addressing the technical vulnerability through proper patch management procedures.