CVE-2023-41814 in Pandora FMS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/29/2023
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Pandora FMS on all allows Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Through an HTML payload (iframe tag) it is possible to carry out XSS attacks when the user receiving the messages opens their notifications. This issue affects Pandora FMS: from 700 through 774.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2023-41814 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Pandora FMS version 7.0.0 through 7.7.4, where the application fails to properly sanitize user input during web page generation processes. This weakness falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it susceptible to XSS attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes HTML payloads containing iframe tags within notification messages, allowing malicious actors to inject persistent or reflected scripts that execute in the context of the victim's browser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the notification system of Pandora FMS, where users receive messages that are rendered without adequate input sanitization. When a user opens their notifications, the system processes the potentially malicious HTML content directly within the web interface, creating an execution environment for attacker-controlled scripts. The iframe tag serves as the primary vehicle for XSS delivery, enabling attackers to embed malicious content that can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing unauthorized commands on behalf of the victim. This flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's input validation and output encoding mechanisms during the web page generation phase.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to establish persistent access to user sessions within the Pandora FMS environment. Security researchers have documented similar patterns in other monitoring and management platforms where notification systems become attack vectors due to insufficient sanitization of user-provided content. The vulnerability affects all versions within the specified range, indicating a systemic issue in the application's data handling processes rather than a localized bug. Organizations using these versions face significant risk of unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure, as the compromised user sessions could provide access to critical monitoring and alerting systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-41814 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Pandora FMS versions to the latest releases that address the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures including HTML escaping, content security policy enforcement, and strict validation of all user-provided content within notification systems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566.001 for initial access through malicious notifications, highlighting the need for defensive measures such as email filtering, user education, and network-based detection. Additionally, implementing proper output encoding for all dynamic content generation, establishing secure coding practices for web applications, and conducting regular security assessments of notification and alerting systems can significantly reduce the attack surface. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious notification content patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.