CVE-2022-2316 in Devolutions
Summary
by MITRE • 07/06/2022
HTML injection vulnerability in secure messages of Devolutions Server before 2022.2 allows attackers to alter the rendering of the page or redirect a user to another site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2022
The CVE-2022-2316 vulnerability represents a critical HTML injection flaw within the secure messaging functionality of Devolutions Server versions prior to 2022.2. This vulnerability falls under the category of insecure direct object reference and cross-site scripting attacks as classified by CWE-79, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on this security infrastructure. The flaw specifically affects the handling of user-supplied input within secure message components, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially compromise user sessions or redirect them to malicious domains.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the secure messaging module. When users compose or receive messages through the Devolutions Server interface, the application fails to properly sanitize user-provided content before rendering it within the web interface. This insufficient sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious HTML code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the secure messaging functionality, which users inherently trust, making social engineering aspects more effective. Attackers can leverage this flaw to inject scripts that manipulate the page rendering, potentially displaying false information or executing unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content manipulation, as it creates potential pathways for more severe attacks within the Devolutions Server environment. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to redirect users to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or inject malicious content that persists across user sessions. The vulnerability's presence in the secure messaging component is particularly concerning because it undermines the trust model that security applications are designed to maintain. Users who interact with the secure messaging functionality may unknowingly execute malicious code that could lead to data exfiltration, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the underlying infrastructure. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Devolutions Server face increased risk of targeted attacks against their employees and the potential for lateral movement within their networks through compromised user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-2316 should prioritize immediate patching of Devolutions Server to version 2022.2 or later, which contains the necessary input validation and output encoding fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures across all user-facing interfaces, particularly those handling message content, to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of content security policies and strict output encoding practices aligns with recommended security frameworks such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Security teams should also conduct thorough penetration testing and code reviews of all messaging and communication modules to identify potential similar vulnerabilities in custom implementations or third-party integrations that may have been overlooked during the initial vulnerability assessment.