CVE-2018-16861 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in the Foreman component of Satellite has been identified, allowing for cross-site scripting attacks. This CVE affects versions 1.18.3, 1.19.1, and 1.20.0 of Foreman.

Understanding CVE-2018-16861

This CVE involves a cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Foreman component of Satellite, potentially leading to the execution of malicious code.

What is CVE-2018-16861?

CVE-2018-16861 is a vulnerability in Foreman that allows attackers with certain privileges to carry out cross-site scripting attacks, compromising user security.

The Impact of CVE-2018-16861

The vulnerability poses a high severity risk, with the potential for attackers to execute malicious code and extract anti-CSRF tokens of users with higher privileges.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-16861

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Foreman allows attackers to conduct cross-site scripting attacks through various menus, potentially leading to the execution of malicious code.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Foreman
Vendor: The Foreman Project
Vulnerable Versions: 1.18.3, 1.19.1, 1.20.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
CVSS Base Score: 7.6 (High Severity)
Vector String: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-16861 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Foreman to versions 1.18.3, 1.19.1, or 1.20.0 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict user privileges to minimize the risk of XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch Foreman to address security vulnerabilities.
Educate users on safe browsing practices and the risks of XSS attacks.
Implement security measures to detect and prevent cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
Conduct security audits and assessments to identify and remediate potential risks.

Patching and Updates

Refer to vendor advisories such as RHSA-2019:1222 for specific patching instructions and updates.