CVE-2023-35759 - Critical XSS Vulnerability in WhatsUp Gold SNMP-Related Endpoint Before 23..

A critical vulnerability, known as CVE-2023-35759, has been discovered in versions prior to 23.. of the popular network monitoring software, WhatsUp Gold. The vulnerability is related to an SNMP-related application endpoint in the software, and it comes from insufficient input sanitization.

By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker could gain unauthorized access to a network and execute arbitrary code in a victim's browser. This vulnerability is classified as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and poses a significant risk to network security.

In this long read post, we'll dive deep into the details of CVE-2023-35759, discuss code snippets related to the vulnerability, explore suggested workarounds and implications of these exploits, and provide relevant references for further information.

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2023-35759 refers to an SNMP-related application endpoint in WhatsUp Gold before version 23... The software does not adequately sanitize malicious input from an unauthenticated attacker, allowing for execution of arbitrary code within a victim's browser.

The vulnerability is exploited by using a specifically crafted URL that includes malicious code as the input parameter.

Code Snippet

Here's a basic example of the code snippet used to exploit the XSS vulnerability in the affected versions of WhatsUp Gold.

javascript: (function() {
   var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
   req.open('GET', 'https://target-website/endpoint?parameter=<script>malicious_code_here</script>';, true);
   req.send();
})();

In the above code snippet, the target-website refers to the IP address or domain of the WhatsUp Gold instance, while endpoint and parameter denote the vulnerable application endpoint and input parameter, respectively. The malicious_code_here should be replaced with the payload intended for exploitation.

How to Exploit

In order to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to craft a URL containing the malicious code and trick the victim into visiting it, for example, by sending it in an email or embedding it in a website. As soon as the targeted user clicks the URL, the malicious code will be executed in their browser.

Workaround

Until an official patch is released, it is essential to adopt a few best practices to mitigate the risk of exploitation:

Upgrade to WhatsUp Gold version 23.. or higher as soon as it is released.

2. Limit access to the affected application endpoint by configuring the appropriate access control settings on your network firewall.
3. Educate users and administrators to avoid clicking on suspicious URLs or visiting untrusted websites.

References and Original Sources

To learn more about CVE-2023-35759, you can visit the following sources of detailed information and updates:

1. CVE-2023-35759 - The CVE entry for this vulnerability.
2. Ipswitch Advisory - Official advisory from the software vendor, Ipswitch, containing information on the vulnerability's impacts, patches, and releases.
3. NIST National Vulnerability Database - A comprehensive database of vulnerabilities available on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) website.
4. OWASP Top 10 - Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) resource to understand the top 10 critical security risks to web applications and how to address them proactively.

Conclusion

Securing networks against vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-35759 is essential to the overall security of a business or organization. By understanding the risks, adopting best practices, and staying informed about updates, it is possible to take critical steps towards securing your network from attacks and mitigating the potential damage.

Timeline

Published on: 06/23/2023 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 07/03/2023 16:24:00 UTC