CVE-2024-38834 in Aria Operations
Summary
by MITRE • 11/26/2024
VMware Aria Operations contains a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability. A malicious actor with editing access to cloud provider might be able to inject malicious script leading to stored cross-site scripting in the product VMware Aria Operations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-38834 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within VMware Aria Operations, a comprehensive monitoring and analytics platform designed for enterprise cloud environments. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the product's web interface, creating an exploitable vector that allows attackers to persist malicious scripts within the application's database. The flaw specifically manifests when users with editing privileges to cloud provider configurations interact with the system, as these elevated permissions provide the necessary access to inject malicious payloads that can later be executed against other users who view the affected content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of input fields within the cloud provider editing functionality, where attacker-controlled data is stored without proper sanitization. When legitimate users access the affected pages, the stored malicious scripts execute within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized access to sensitive operational data. This stored XSS vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be leveraged to bypass standard security controls, as the malicious code persists in the database and executes automatically during subsequent user interactions with the affected interface elements. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 related to spearphishing attachments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive monitoring data, cloud configuration details, and operational insights that VMware Aria Operations typically protects. An attacker with editing privileges could manipulate cloud provider configurations to inject scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary commands within the browser context of authenticated users. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that it requires only editing access to cloud provider configurations, which may be granted to administrators or trusted partners within enterprise environments, making exploitation relatively accessible. Organizations relying on VMware Aria Operations for critical infrastructure monitoring face potential data exposure and operational disruption, particularly when attackers leverage the stored XSS to gain persistent access to monitoring dashboards and operational insights.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-38834 should focus on immediate patch deployment from VMware, which addresses the input validation and output encoding deficiencies that enable the stored XSS attack vector. Organizations must also implement additional security controls including role-based access restrictions to cloud provider editing functionality, enhanced input validation at multiple layers, and comprehensive monitoring for suspicious activities within the VMware Aria Operations environment. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers, while regular security assessments should verify that no malicious scripts have already been injected into the system. Security teams should also conduct thorough user access reviews to ensure that only authorized personnel maintain editing privileges for cloud provider configurations, as this reduces the attack surface for potential exploitation of the stored XSS vulnerability.