Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Mobile Content Server in ESRI ArcGIS for Server 10.1 and 10.2 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2013-5222.
ESRI ArcGIS for Server versions 10.1 and 10.2 are vulnerable to a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack, allowing authenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application. This vulnerability could lead to account compromise, data theft, or complete control of the user's browser, impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
Step 1: Authentication: The attacker must first authenticate to the ArcGIS for Server instance. This is a prerequisite, as the vulnerability is described as affecting 'authenticated users'.
Step 2: Payload Injection: The attacker crafts a malicious payload containing JavaScript or HTML code. This payload is designed to exploit the XSS vulnerability.
Step 3: Data Submission: The attacker submits the crafted payload to the ArcGIS for Server, likely through a specific input field or parameter within the Mobile Content Server component. The exact vector (e.g., URL parameter, form field) is unspecified in the CVE description.
Step 4: Server Processing: The ArcGIS for Server processes the attacker's input, but fails to properly sanitize or encode the malicious payload.
Step 5: Output Rendering: The server renders the attacker's input, including the malicious payload, in the HTML response sent to the victim's browser.
Step 6: Payload Execution: The victim's browser executes the injected JavaScript code when it loads the malicious response. This allows the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the victim, such as stealing cookies, redirecting the user, or defacing the website.
The vulnerability lies within the Mobile Content Server component of ESRI ArcGIS for Server. The root cause is likely a failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in the web application's output. Specifically, the application likely fails to encode or escape special characters (e.g., < and >) within user-provided data, allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code. This could be due to a missing or inadequate input validation process, or a flawed implementation of output encoding. The specific function or logic flaw is likely within the component responsible for handling and displaying content related to the mobile functionality, where user-supplied data is incorporated into the HTML response.