CVE-2021-42558 in CALDERA
Summary
by MITRE • 01/12/2022
An issue was discovered in CALDERA 2.8.1. It contains multiple reflected, stored, and self XSS vulnerabilities that may be exploited by authenticated and unauthenticated attackers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-42558 affects CALDERA version 2.8.1, a comprehensive adversary emulation platform designed for red team operations and security testing. This security flaw represents a critical concern for organizations utilizing CALDERA in their defensive security infrastructure, as it exposes the system to cross-site scripting attacks that can be leveraged by both authenticated and unauthenticated threat actors. The vulnerability landscape within CALDERA is particularly concerning given its role in simulating advanced persistent threats and adversary techniques, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise the platform itself.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the CALDERA web interface. The system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, creating opportunities for malicious payloads to be injected and executed within the context of other users' browsers. This encompasses reflected XSS where malicious scripts are injected through crafted URLs, stored XSS where malicious content is permanently stored in the application's database, and self-XSS scenarios where attackers can manipulate the interface to execute malicious code against themselves. The vulnerability affects multiple endpoints within the CALDERA framework, particularly those handling user input in forms, query parameters, and API responses.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-42558 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive operational data and system functionality. An attacker could leverage these vulnerabilities to steal session cookies, execute malicious commands within the context of authenticated users, or even escalate privileges within the CALDERA environment. The implications are particularly severe for organizations using CALDERA for operational security testing, as compromised systems could provide adversaries with access to operational procedures, test infrastructure, and potentially sensitive intelligence gathered during adversary emulation exercises. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a significant deviation from secure coding practices that should be implemented in web applications handling sensitive security data.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including input validation at all entry points, comprehensive output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security assessments of the CALDERA platform. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while proper input sanitization and parameterized queries should be enforced throughout the application. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious activity within CALDERA environments, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's methodology for defending against web application attacks. Given that this vulnerability affects both authenticated and unauthenticated access vectors, comprehensive network monitoring and access controls become essential defensive measures. The remediation process should include updating to patched versions of CALDERA, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting thorough security reviews of all user-facing interfaces to prevent similar vulnerabilities from existing in other components of the security infrastructure.