7.5 - VMSA-2010-0005

a. WebAccess Context Data Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability

A cross-site scripting vulnerability in WebAccess allows for disclosure of sensitive information. The flaw is due to insufficient verification of certain parameters which may lead to redirection of a user's requests.

This vulnerability can only be exploited if the attacker tricks the WebAccess user into clicking a malicious link and the attacker has control of a server on the same network as the system where WebAccess is being used.

Workaround By switching off WebAccess the issue can no longer be exploited. This can be accomplished on affected versions of Virtual Center and ESX as follows:

Virtual Center 2.0.2 and Virtual Center 2.5: Go to the Windows Services overview on the system that runs Virtual Center. To stop WebAccess without a reboot: Change the status of the VMware Infrastructure Web Access service to stop To prevent WebAccess from starting after the next reboot: Change the startup type of the VMware Infrastructure Web Access service to disabled

ESX 3.0.3 and ESX 3.5: Open a root shell on ESX. To stop WebAccess without a reboot: service vmware-webAccess stop To prevent WebAccess from starting after the next reboot: chkconfig vmware-webAccess off

VMware would like to thank David Byrne and Tom Leavey of Trustwave's SpiderLabs for reporting this issue to us.

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2009-2277 to this issue.

b. WebAccess Virtual Machine Name Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability

A cross-site scripting vulnerability allows for execution of JavaScript in the Web browser's security context for WebAccess. The flaw is due to insufficient checking on the names of virtual machines.

In order to exploit the issue, the attacker must have control over the naming of a virtual machine and must have the user list this Virtual Machine in WebAccess.

Workaround By switching off WebAccess the issue can no longer be exploited. See section 3.a on how this can be accomplished.

VMware would like to thank Craig Marshall of Ernst and Young Advanced Security Center for reporting this issue to us.

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2010-1137 to this issue.

c. WebAccess URL Forwarding Vulnerability

The WebAccess component doesn't sufficiently validate user supplied input and allows for forwarding of an incoming request to another destination. The destination will not be able to see the true origin of the request URL but instead will see the address of the machine that runs WebAccess. An attacker could use the forwarding vulnerability to direct traffic at servers while disguising the source location.

The security issue is limited to URL forwarding. This vulnerability doesn't allow for a so-called cross-site scripting attack and doesn't allow for stealing of the user cookies.

Workaround By switching off WebAccess the issue can no longer be exploited. See section 3.a on how this can be accomplished.

VMware would like to thank John Fitzpatrick of MWR InfoSecurity for reporting this issue to us.

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2010-0686 to this issue.

d. WebAccess JSON Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability

A cross-site scripting vulnerability allows for execution of JavaScript in the Web browser's security context for WebAccess. The flaw is due to incorrect parsing of JSON error messages.

This vulnerability can only be exploited if the attacker tricks the WebAccess user into clicking a malicious link.

Workaround By switching off WebAccess the issue can no longer be exploited. See section 3.a on how this can be accomplished.

VMware would like to thank Nathan Keltner for reporting this issue to us.

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2010-1193 to this issue.