CVE-2023-26290 : What You Need to Know

This CVE-2023-26290, assigned by Forcepoint, was published on March 29, 2023. It involves an "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')" vulnerability in Forcepoint Cloud Security Gateway (CSG) and Forcepoint Web Security Portal, potentially leading to Reflected XSS issues.

Understanding CVE-2023-26290

This vulnerability affects Forcepoint Cloud Security Gateway (CSG) Portal on Web Cloud Security Gateway, Email Security Cloud, and Forcepoint Web Security Portal on Hybrid due to improper input neutralization during web page generation.

What is CVE-2023-26290?

The CVE-2023-26290 vulnerability is categorized as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')" (CWE-79). It specifically leads to Reflected XSS issues, allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts in a victim's browser.

The Impact of CVE-2023-26290

The impact of this vulnerability has a base severity rating of MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 6.1. It has low confidentiality and integrity impacts but required user interaction for exploitation. The vulnerability affects systems before March 29, 2023.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-26290

This section focuses on the specific technical aspects of the CVE-2023-26290 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises due to improper input handling during the generation of web pages, leading to the potential execution of malicious scripts in the context of a victim's session.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Forcepoint Cloud Security Gateway (CSG) and Forcepoint Web Security Portal versions before March 29, 2023. Specifically, the Cloud Security Gateway (CSG) Portal on Web Cloud Security Gateway, Email Security Cloud, and Forcepoint Web Security Portal on Hybrid are impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by injecting specially crafted input that gets executed when a user interacts with the affected web pages, potentially leading to the execution of unauthorized code.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-26290 and prevent potential exploitation, the following measures are recommended:

Immediate Steps to Take

Organizations should apply relevant security patches provided by Forcepoint promptly.
Users are advised to be cautious while interacting with untrusted websites to mitigate the risk of XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Organizations should implement secure coding practices to prevent XSS vulnerabilities in web applications.
Regular security assessments and code reviews can help identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

It is crucial for organizations to stay updated with security advisories from Forcepoint and apply patches promptly to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-26290.