CVE-2023-28017 in Connections
Summary
by MITRE • 12/07/2023
HCL Connections is vulnerable to a cross-site scripting attack where an attacker may leverage this issue to execute arbitrary script code in the browser of an unsuspecting user after visiting the vulnerable URL which leads to executing malicious script code. This may let the attacker steal cookie-based authentication credentials and comprise a user's account then launch other attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28017 affects HCL Connections, a collaborative software platform that enables organizations to create, share, and manage content within secure environments. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that can be exploited by malicious actors to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized actions within the application. The flaw exists in the platform's handling of user input within URL parameters, creating an opening for attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of legitimate user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within HCL Connections' web application framework. When users navigate to specially crafted URLs containing malicious script payloads, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape these inputs before rendering them in web pages. This allows attackers to inject javascript code that executes in the victim's browser, leveraging the user's authenticated session context. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes URL parameters without adequate sanitization, creating a direct pathway for script injection attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise entire user accounts and facilitate further exploitation. Attackers can leverage the stolen session cookies to impersonate legitimate users and access sensitive data, modify content, or perform administrative actions within the HCL Connections environment. The compromised authentication credentials can serve as a launching point for broader attacks within the organization's network, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and persistent access to the collaborative platform. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should prevent user input from being directly rendered without proper sanitization.
Security practitioners should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policies to prevent script execution in the vulnerable application. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves comprehensive parameter validation, proper HTML escaping of user-supplied content, and regular security assessments to identify similar injection vulnerabilities within the application. Additionally, implementing the principle of least privilege and monitoring for anomalous user activities can help detect exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining secure coding standards and the potential for seemingly minor input validation gaps to create significant security risks within collaborative platforms. The attack surface created by this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which covers the use of malicious file content to gain access to systems, and represents a fundamental failure in the application's security posture that requires immediate remediation to prevent unauthorized access to organizational collaboration environments.