CVE-2023-42476 in BusinessObjects Web Intelligence
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2023
SAP Business Objects Web Intelligence - version 420, allows an authenticated attacker to inject JavaScript code into Web Intelligence documents which is then executed in the victim’s browser each time the vulnerable page is visited. Successful exploitation can lead to exposure of the data that the user has access to. In the worst case, attacker could access data from reporting databases.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2023
SAP Business Objects Web Intelligence version 420 contains a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability that enables authenticated attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into Web Intelligence documents. This vulnerability exists within the document rendering and processing mechanisms of the application, specifically in how it handles user input and displays content within browser environments. The flaw represents a classic persistent cross-site scripting vulnerability that violates the fundamental security principle of input sanitization and output encoding. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability falls under the category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that any user with legitimate access to the system can potentially leverage this weakness against other users within the same system.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves an authenticated attacker creating or modifying Web Intelligence documents that contain malicious JavaScript payloads. When other users subsequently open these compromised documents, the injected code executes within their browser context, leveraging the victim's existing session and privileges. This persistent nature of the attack means that the malicious code remains embedded in the document and executes every time the document is accessed, creating a continuous threat vector. The attack chain follows the typical XSS exploitation pattern where the attacker first gains access to the system, creates a malicious document with embedded JavaScript, and then waits for other users to view the document, thereby transferring the malicious code execution to the victim's browser. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of the system as it allows for unauthorized data access and potential data exfiltration through the execution of attacker-controlled code in the victim's browser environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, credential theft, and data manipulation within the reporting environment. An attacker could potentially use this vulnerability to escalate privileges, access sensitive business intelligence data, or even pivot to other systems within the network that share authentication mechanisms. The attack surface is particularly broad since Web Intelligence documents are commonly shared and accessed by multiple users within organizations, amplifying the potential damage from a single compromised document. In the worst-case scenario, this vulnerability could allow attackers to access underlying reporting databases, potentially exposing sensitive business information, financial data, or strategic insights that should remain protected. The impact is further compounded by the fact that the attack requires minimal privileges to execute, making it accessible to any authenticated user within the system, including employees with limited access rights.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation and output encoding controls within the Web Intelligence application, regular security updates and patches from SAP, and enhanced monitoring of document creation and modification activities. Network segmentation and privileged access controls can help limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Security awareness training for users should emphasize the risks of opening untrusted documents and the importance of verifying document sources. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 for Phishing and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, representing the attack vectors through which an attacker could leverage this weakness. The vulnerability also aligns with the principle of least privilege violations as it allows authenticated users to escalate their privileges and access data beyond their intended scope. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other business intelligence and reporting systems within the organization's infrastructure.