CVE-2022-29152 in PowerTerm WebConnect
Summary
by MITRE • 04/28/2022
The Ericom PowerTerm WebConnect 6.0 login portal can unsafely write an XSS payload from the AppPortal cookie into the page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-29152 affects the Ericom PowerTerm WebConnect 6.0 login portal, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes the AppPortal cookie value without proper sanitization or encoding, creating an avenue for persistent cross-site scripting attacks. The flaw resides in the application's handling of authentication cookies within the web interface, where user-provided input from the AppPortal cookie is directly reflected into the page content without appropriate security measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the PowerTerm WebConnect application. When a user accesses the login portal, the system retrieves the AppPortal cookie value and incorporates it into the page rendering process without proper sanitization. This creates a classic reflected cross-site scripting vector where malicious payloads can be executed in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the authentication layer, potentially allowing attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive credentials, or perform unauthorized actions within the application environment.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the security posture of organizations relying on Ericom PowerTerm WebConnect for remote access management. Attackers can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or privilege escalation within the application. The attack surface is broad as it affects all users who interact with the login portal, and the persistence of the vulnerability means that any user who accesses the portal while the malicious cookie is present will be exposed to the XSS payload. This vulnerability can be leveraged in combination with other attack techniques to escalate privileges and gain deeper access to enterprise networks.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers phishing with malicious attachments, as attackers might use this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through crafted cookies. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation for cookie values, proper output encoding of all user-supplied data, and regular security updates from Ericom to address this vulnerability. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of authentication portals can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The recommended remediation includes ensuring that all cookie values are properly sanitized and encoded before being rendered in web pages, implementing Content Security Policy headers, and conducting thorough security testing of authentication components to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future releases.