CVE-2023-2421 in RHiD
Summary
by MITRE • 04/29/2023
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in Control iD RHiD 23.3.19.0. Affected is an unknown function of the file /v2/#/add/department. The manipulation of the argument Name leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. VDB-227718 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2023
This vulnerability resides within the Control iD RHiD 23.3.19.0 software system where an insecure input handling flaw exists in the /v2/#/add/department endpoint. The specific technical weakness manifests when processing the Name parameter, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web responses. This cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79) allows malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited through web browsers. The vulnerability's classification as remotely exploitable means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to initiate attacks, significantly expanding the potential attack surface. The lack of vendor response to early disclosure attempts creates additional operational risk as organizations may remain unaware of the vulnerability's existence for extended periods, leaving systems exposed without proper mitigation guidance.
The operational impact of this cross-site scripting vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement scenarios. Attackers can leverage this weakness to hijack user sessions, redirect victims to malicious websites, inject malware, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability affects the department management functionality of the software, potentially allowing threat actors to escalate privileges or access sensitive organizational data through compromised user accounts. This type of vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on use of web shell and T1203 which covers exploitation for execution through web applications. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability exists in a department management endpoint that likely contains organizational hierarchy and user access information. The absence of vendor communication during the disclosure process indicates potential gaps in the security community's engagement with the vendor, which could leave organizations without timely patching guidance or security advisories.
Organizations utilizing Control iD RHiD 23.3.19.0 should implement immediate defensive measures including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters in web applications. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing proper sanitization of the Name parameter through HTML entity encoding, input length restrictions, and regular expression validation to prevent malicious script injection. Security teams should deploy web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and establish monitoring procedures to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies to limit script execution and regularly audit web application endpoints for similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector necessitates network-level protections including firewall rules that restrict access to administrative endpoints and regular security assessments of web applications to identify and remediate similar input validation weaknesses. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid identification and containment of potential exploitation attempts, given the vendor's lack of response to early disclosure efforts.