CVE-2018-17184: Syncope core Improper Control Of Interaction Frequency Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9h9c-f287-c6vp
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CVSS 5.4
CWE-799
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-17184 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.4) improper control of interaction frequency vulnerability (CWE-799: Improper Control of Interaction Frequency) affecting Syncope core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper control of interaction frequency in apache syncope-core. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.0.11, 2.1.2.

CVE-2018-17184 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-17184
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9h9c-f287-c6vp
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.4
CWE Classification CWE-799: Improper Control of Interaction Frequency
Affected Product Syncope core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.4

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2018-17184

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Syncope core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.apache.syncope:syncope-core fixed: 2.0.11 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.syncope</groupId>
    <artifactId>syncope-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.0.11</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.syncope:syncope-core fixed: 2.1.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.syncope</groupId>
    <artifactId>syncope-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.2</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.syncope

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-17184, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.syncope

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Syncope core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.0.11), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.syncope command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-799: Improper Control of Interaction Frequency, where the product does not properly limit the number or frequency of interactions that it has with an actor, such as the number of incoming requests. In Syncope core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A malicious user with enough administration entitlements can inject html-like elements containing JavaScript statements into Connector names, Report names, AnyTypeClass keys and Policy descriptions. When another user with enough administration entitlements edits one of the Entities above via Admin Console, the injected JavaScript code is executed.

CVE-2018-17184 Affected Syncope core Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.0.112.1.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.syncope:syncope-core
maven/org.apache.syncope/syncope-core
Maven
< 2.0.11
2.0.11
org.apache.syncope:syncope-core
maven/org.apache.syncope/syncope-core
Maven
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.2
2.1.2

References

NVD — CVE-2018-17184 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-17184
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9h9c-f287-c6vp
Syncope core Security Information SECURITY
https://syncope.apache.org/security#CVE-2018-17184:_Stored_XSS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-17184?
CVE-2018-17184 is a security vulnerability in Syncope core involving Improper Control of Interaction Frequency in Apache syncope-core under CWE-799: Improper Control of Interaction Frequency.
Which Syncope core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.0.11, 2.1.2 across affected packages: org.apache.syncope:syncope-core.
What version fixes CVE-2018-17184?
Upgrading to 2.0.11, 2.1.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is syncope-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.syncope:syncope-core is affected in releases prior to 2.0.11, 2.1.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.0.11, 2.1.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-17184?
CVE-2018-17184 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-17184?
CVE-2018-17184 is classified under CWE-799: Improper Control of Interaction Frequency (The product does not properly limit the number or frequency of interactions that it has with an actor, such as the number of incoming requests.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-17184?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.syncope'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9h9c-f287-c6vp",
  "modified" : "2022-09-14T22:02:16Z",
  "published" : "2018-11-06T23:16:18Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-17184" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Control of Interaction Frequency in Apache syncope-core",
  "details" : "A malicious user with enough administration entitlements can inject html-like elements containing JavaScript statements into Connector names, Report names, AnyTypeClass keys and Policy descriptions. When another user with enough administration entitlements edits one of the Entities above via Admin Console, the injected JavaScript code is executed.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.syncope:syncope-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.syncope:syncope-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-17184"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9h9c-f287-c6vp"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://syncope.apache.org/security#CVE-2018-17184:_Stored_XSS"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-799" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:28:47Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}