CVE-2023-1248 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 03/20/2023
Improper Input Validation vulnerability in OTRS AG OTRS (Ticket Actions modules), OTRS AG ((OTRS)) Community Edition (Ticket Actions modules) allows Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).This issue affects OTRS: from 7.0.X before 7.0.42; ((OTRS)) Community Edition: from 6.0.1 through 6.0.34.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2023
The CVE-2023-1248 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the OTRS ticketing system that stems from improper input validation within the Ticket Actions modules. This vulnerability specifically affects both the OTRS AG OTRS platform and the OTRS Community Edition, creating a cross-site scripting attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors. The issue manifests in versions from 7.0.0 through 7.0.41 of the main OTRS product and from version 6.0.1 through 6.0.34 of the Community Edition, indicating a widespread impact across multiple release lines. The vulnerability arises from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input data, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's response that will execute in the context of other users' browsers.
This improper input validation vulnerability directly maps to CWE-20, which defines the weakness of insufficient input validation as a fundamental security flaw that allows attackers to manipulate application behavior through malformed inputs. The cross-site scripting nature of this vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the application. The affected Ticket Actions modules suggest that any functionality involving ticket manipulation or action execution could serve as an entry point for exploitation, making this particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with ticket management features.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-1248 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information within the OTRS system. When users view affected pages or interact with manipulated ticket data, the injected scripts execute in their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to access session cookies, modify ticket information, or redirect users to malicious websites. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where OTRS is used for customer support, incident management, or service desk operations, as it could compromise the integrity of critical business processes. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that the vulnerability affects multiple versions, increasing the potential exposure across various organizational deployments.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to the patched versions 7.0.42 for the main OTRS product and 6.0.35 for the Community Edition, as these releases contain the necessary input validation fixes. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies and input sanitization measures can provide defense-in-depth protection. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering highlights the importance of user awareness training to prevent exploitation through phishing or malicious link delivery. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection patterns, and regular security assessments should verify that all instances of the vulnerable software have been properly updated to prevent exploitation attempts.