Source: cve@mitre.org
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in birt-viewer/run in Eclipse Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) before 2.5.0, as used in KonaKart and other products, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the __report parameter.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Eclipse BIRT, a reporting tool, allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages. This can lead to account compromise, data theft, and website defacement. Organizations using vulnerable BIRT installations are at significant risk of exploitation.
Step 1: Payload Delivery: The attacker crafts a malicious URL containing a JavaScript payload within the __report parameter. This payload is designed to execute arbitrary code within the context of the vulnerable website.
Step 2: Request Submission: The attacker sends the crafted URL to a victim, typically through phishing, social engineering, or by embedding it on a malicious website.
Step 3: Server Processing: The victim's browser sends the request to the vulnerable BIRT server.
Step 4: Vulnerable Component Execution: The birt-viewer/run component receives the request and processes the __report parameter. Due to the lack of proper sanitization, the injected JavaScript payload is included in the HTML response.
Step 5: Payload Execution: The victim's browser renders the HTML response, executing the injected JavaScript payload. This allows the attacker to perform actions such as stealing cookies, redirecting the user, or defacing the website.
The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding of the __report parameter within the birt-viewer/run component of Eclipse BIRT. Specifically, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it within the web page. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code. The root cause is a missing or inadequate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms, such as HTML entity encoding, to prevent malicious code from being interpreted by the browser. The application directly incorporates the untrusted __report parameter into the HTML response without proper sanitization, leading to the XSS vulnerability.
While no specific APTs are directly linked to this CVE, the ease of exploitation makes it attractive for a wide range of attackers, including those seeking to establish a foothold for further attacks. The vulnerability could be used as an initial access vector in a larger attack chain. Not listed in CISA KEV.
Web server logs analysis: Examine web server logs for suspicious requests containing JavaScript payloads in the __report parameter (e.g., <script>, onerror, javascript:).
Network traffic analysis: Monitor network traffic for unusual HTTP requests targeting the birt-viewer/run endpoint with potentially malicious payloads in the __report parameter.
Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) rules: Implement rules to detect and block XSS attempts, specifically those targeting the __report parameter.
Web Application Firewall (WAF) monitoring: Utilize WAFs to identify and block malicious requests containing XSS payloads.
Upgrade to Eclipse BIRT version 2.5.0 or later. This version includes a fix for the XSS vulnerability.
Implement robust input validation: Sanitize all user-supplied input, especially the __report parameter, to remove or encode potentially dangerous characters.
Implement output encoding: Encode all output to prevent the browser from interpreting malicious code. Use HTML entity encoding to escape special characters.
Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a WAF to filter malicious requests and prevent XSS attacks.
Regularly scan for vulnerabilities: Use vulnerability scanners to identify and address potential security weaknesses in web applications.
Apply the principle of least privilege: Ensure that web applications and their associated components have the minimum necessary permissions.