CVE-2023-39511 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This article provides detailed information about CVE-2023-39511, a vulnerability in Cacti that allows Stored Cross-Site-Scripting (XSS) attacks.

Understanding CVE-2023-39511

This section delves into the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies related to CVE-2023-39511.

What is CVE-2023-39511?

CVE-2023-39511 is a vulnerability in Cacti, an open-source operational monitoring and fault management framework. It enables an authenticated user to execute JavaScript code in an administrator's browser, potentially compromising data security.

The Impact of CVE-2023-39511

The vulnerability allows an attacker to poison data in the Cacti database, leading to the execution of malicious code in the victim's browser. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive information and potential system compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-39511

This section outlines the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The stored XSS vulnerability in Cacti grants an attacker the ability to deploy malicious code by configuring a device name attached to a graph. This code can be executed when viewing the

reports_admin.php

page, potentially impacting administrative accounts.

Affected Systems and Versions

Cacti versions prior to 1.2.25 are vulnerable to this exploit. Users running affected versions are advised to update to version 1.2.25 or apply manual HTML filtering.

Exploitation Mechanism

An adversary with specific user permissions can manipulate device names through the Cacti interface, triggering the execution of XSS payloads when viewing related reports. This manipulation exploits the lack of input sanitization in the 'reports_admin.php' page.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section addresses immediate steps to take, long-term security practices, and the importance of patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are strongly encouraged to upgrade their Cacti installations to version 1.2.25 to mitigate the vulnerability. Those unable to update should implement manual HTML output filtering to prevent XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

To enhance overall security, users should regularly monitor for security advisories, apply software updates promptly, and restrict user permissions based on the principle of least privilege.

Patching and Updates

Developers of Cacti have released version 1.2.25, which addresses the CVE-2023-39511 vulnerability. Ensuring timely installation of updates is crucial in maintaining a secure Cacti environment.