CVE-2023-50712 in iris-web
Summary
by MITRE • 12/22/2023
Iris is a web collaborative platform aiming to help incident responders sharing technical details during investigations. A stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been identified in iris-web, affecting multiple locations in versions prior to v2.3.7. The vulnerability may allow an attacker to inject malicious scripts into the application, which could then be executed when a user visits the affected locations. This could lead to unauthorized access, data theft, or other related malicious activities. An attacker need to be authenticated on the application to exploit this vulnerability. The issue is fixed in version v2.3.7 of iris-web. No known workarounds are available.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2024
The CVE-2023-50712 vulnerability represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the iris-web component of the Iris collaborative incident response platform. This web-based system is designed to facilitate information sharing among incident responders during security investigations, making it a potentially attractive target for adversaries seeking to compromise security operations. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to v2.3.7 and affects multiple locations within the application's codebase, demonstrating the widespread nature of the flaw. As a stored XSS vulnerability, it differs from reflected XSS in that malicious payloads are permanently stored on the server and executed whenever affected pages are accessed by users, making the attack vector more persistent and dangerous. The requirement for authentication to exploit this vulnerability does not diminish its severity, as it indicates that attackers who can compromise legitimate user credentials or gain access to the platform through other means can leverage this flaw effectively.
The technical exploitation of this stored XSS vulnerability occurs when authenticated users interact with maliciously crafted content that gets stored in the application's database or storage mechanisms. When other users subsequently view pages containing this stored content, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially enabling attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or redirect them to malicious sites. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications viewed by other users. The impact extends beyond simple script execution, as the compromised session tokens could enable full account takeover, allowing attackers to access sensitive incident data, manipulate investigation findings, or even introduce false evidence into the security response process. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains active until manually removed or until the application is updated to address the flaw.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-50712 within incident response environments is particularly concerning given the critical nature of the Iris platform. Security teams rely on such collaborative tools to maintain accurate and secure communication during investigations, making any vulnerability that could compromise these systems especially dangerous. An attacker exploiting this flaw could gain access to sensitive threat intelligence, forensic data, or communication between security professionals, potentially undermining ongoing investigations or allowing the adversary to manipulate evidence. The vulnerability's presence in a platform used for security incident response creates a unique risk scenario where the attacker's capabilities extend beyond typical web application exploitation to potentially compromise entire security operations. Organizations using Iris prior to version 2.3.7 face a significant risk of data compromise, as the vulnerability allows for persistent script execution that could remain undetected for extended periods. This type of vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering methods that could be employed to gain initial access to the platform before exploiting the stored XSS flaw.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to iris-web version 2.3.7 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds are available for the stored XSS flaw. The vulnerability's authentication requirement means that organizations should focus on strengthening credential protection measures, implementing multi-factor authentication, and monitoring for suspicious activities that could indicate credential compromise. Security teams should also conduct thorough assessments of their incident response workflows to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred prior to the patch deployment. The remediation process should include reviewing access controls and user permissions to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the platform, as the vulnerability's exploitation requires legitimate user credentials. Additionally, organizations should implement enhanced monitoring of the Iris platform for suspicious content uploads or modifications that could indicate attempts to inject malicious scripts. Given the nature of this vulnerability and its potential to be exploited within security operations, regular security assessments of collaborative platforms and web applications used in incident response should be prioritized to prevent similar vulnerabilities from remaining undetected. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of secure coding practices and regular security updates in platforms that handle sensitive operational data, particularly in environments where security professionals rely on these tools for critical incident response activities.