CVE-2023-42478 in Business Objects BI Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2023
SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform is vulnerable to stored XSS allowing an attacker to upload agnostic documents in the system which when opened by any other user could lead to high impact on integrity of the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2024
SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform represents a critical enterprise solution for data analysis and reporting within organizations, making it a prime target for sophisticated cyber attacks. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42478 manifests as a stored cross-site scripting flaw that fundamentally compromises the platform's security posture. This vulnerability exists within the document upload functionality of the system, where user-supplied content is not adequately sanitized before being stored in the application's database. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist within the system and execute when other users access the compromised documents, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over time.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting attacks where input is not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages. The stored aspect of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious code is permanently embedded within the application's data storage rather than being executed only during a single request. This persistent nature significantly amplifies the attack surface and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users regularly access shared documents and reports. The vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially allowing for session hijacking, data theft, and complete compromise of user sessions.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-42478 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the integrity of the entire business intelligence platform. When malicious documents are uploaded and subsequently accessed by other users, attackers can potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute commands on behalf of the compromised users. This threat is particularly severe in business intelligence environments where users may have elevated privileges or access to sensitive corporate data. The vulnerability undermines the trust model of the platform, as users cannot reliably distinguish between legitimate and malicious documents, potentially leading to widespread compromise of the organization's data integrity and confidentiality. The attack can be particularly devastating in scenarios where users regularly collaborate on shared dashboards and reports, as a single compromised document can affect numerous users simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the document upload process. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied content undergoes strict sanitization before storage, implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent script execution, and employing proper input validation techniques to reject potentially malicious content. The implementation of web application firewalls and regular security scanning should be prioritized to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, user access controls should be reviewed to limit the ability of untrusted users to upload documents that could be accessed by other users. Organizations should also implement regular security training for users to recognize potential phishing attempts and suspicious document attachments, while maintaining comprehensive logging and monitoring of document upload activities to detect anomalous behavior. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in enterprise applications, particularly those handling sensitive business intelligence data and user-generated content.