CVE-2024-0318 in HXTool
Summary
by MITRE • 01/15/2024
Cross-Site Scripting in FireEye HXTool affecting version 4.6. This vulnerability allows an attacker to store a specially crafted JavaScript payload in the 'Profile Name' and 'Hostname/IP' parameters that will be triggered when items are loaded.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0318 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within FireEye HXTool version 4.6, demonstrating a classic server-side input validation weakness that enables persistent code execution in victim browsers. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user-supplied data within the Profile Name and Hostname/IP parameters, where insufficient sanitization allows malicious JavaScript code to be stored and subsequently executed when the affected data is rendered in subsequent user interactions. The flaw operates as a persistent XSS vulnerability, meaning that the malicious payload remains stored within the application's database or configuration files and executes each time the affected data is accessed, creating a long-term threat vector that can compromise user sessions and exfiltrate sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established pattern that aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, where the application fails to properly escape or validate user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that leverage the application's trust in user-provided data, enabling them to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of authenticated users' browsers. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it affects core administrative parameters that are frequently modified and accessed by legitimate users, providing multiple opportunities for exploitation. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that FireEye HXTool is designed for security monitoring and incident response, meaning that compromised administrators could gain access to sensitive security data and potentially escalate privileges within the security infrastructure.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on FireEye HXTool for security operations, as it could enable attackers to establish persistent backdoors, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The persistence aspect of the vulnerability means that even after the initial exploitation, the malicious code continues to execute without requiring repeated attacks, making it particularly dangerous for long-term reconnaissance and data exfiltration campaigns. The attack chain typically involves initial access through a compromised user account or social engineering, followed by the injection of malicious JavaScript into the vulnerable parameters, and finally the execution of the payload when legitimate users view the affected data. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment and T1548.001 - Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Bypass User Account Control, potentially enabling lateral movement and privilege escalation within compromised environments.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied data within the affected parameters, implementing proper output encoding for all dynamic content, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of the HXTool application. The recommended approach involves deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious payloads, implementing strict input validation rules that reject potentially dangerous characters and patterns, and conducting regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls for the HXTool application and monitor for suspicious modifications to profile configurations that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of input validation in security-critical applications and highlights the need for continuous security testing and patch management processes to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other security tools and platforms.