CVE-2023-5113 in Enterprise LaserJet Printer
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Certain HP Enterprise LaserJet and HP LaserJet Managed Printers are potentially vulnerable to denial of service due to WS-Print request and potential injections of Cross Site Scripting via jQuery-UI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5113 affects HP Enterprise LaserJet and HP LaserJet Managed Printers, representing a significant security concern for enterprise printing environments. These devices are widely deployed in corporate networks where they serve as critical components for document management and printing operations. The affected printers are designed to support web-based management interfaces and services, including WS-Print functionality which enables remote printing capabilities through web services. This particular vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the web interface components of these devices, creating potential attack vectors that could disrupt normal printing operations and compromise system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper handling of WS-Print requests and the inclusion of jQuery-UI components within the printer's web interface. When processing incoming WS-Print requests, the affected printers fail to adequately validate and sanitize input parameters, allowing malicious actors to inject crafted payloads that can trigger unexpected behavior. The presence of jQuery-UI libraries in the web interface creates additional attack surface where cross-site scripting vulnerabilities can be exploited. These XSS vulnerabilities occur when the printer fails to properly encode or escape user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages, potentially allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser session.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-5113 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader security implications for enterprise networks. A successful denial of service attack could render printers unavailable for legitimate business operations, causing productivity losses and requiring administrative intervention to restore functionality. The XSS capabilities present in the vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate their privileges within the printer's management interface, potentially allowing them to modify printer configurations, access sensitive information, or redirect print jobs to unintended destinations. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in managed print environments where centralized printer management is critical for security policy enforcement and operational efficiency.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including firmware updates from HP to address the identified vulnerabilities, network segmentation to limit access to printer management interfaces, and the implementation of web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious traffic. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 for cross-site scripting and CWE-400 for denial of service conditions, representing common attack patterns that have been extensively documented in enterprise security frameworks. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through web application exploitation and privilege escalation through management interface compromise, making it a significant concern for organizations following the MITRE ATT&CK framework for threat analysis and defense planning.