Corsaire Security Advisory: PeopleSoft IScript XSS issue

– Corsaire Security Advisory –

Title: PeopleSoft IScript XSS issue
Date: 04.07.03
Application: PeopleTools 8.20/8.43 and prior
Environment: Various
Author: Glyn Geoghegan [[email protected]]
Audience: General distribution
Reference: c030704-004

– Scope –

The aim of this document is to clearly define a vulnerability in the
PeopleSoft IScript functionality, as supplied by PeopleSoft Ltd. [1],
that would allow an attacker to perform a Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
attack.

– History –

Discovered: 01.07.03 (Glyn Geoghegan)
Vendor notified: 04.07.03
Document released: 12.11.03

– Overview –

The PeopleSoft IScript environment allows developers to produce custom
environments, tailored to an organisations needs. By using a malformed
URL in an HTTP request to the IScript application, it is possible to
achieve an XSS attack, potentially giving access to confidential
information, such as session cookies etc.

– Analysis –

The IScript interface accepts a number of arguments via HTTP POST/GET
calls.

By using a carefully constructed URL, mobile code such as JAVA, can be
executed within the users context. This style of attack can be used to
gain access to sensitive information, such as session cookies etc.

– Recommendations –

PeopleSoft have released details of this and other issues under security
rollup vulnerability ID 20031112, which is available to registered users
from the PeopleSoft support site [2].

PeopleSoft recommends that customers address the vulnerability by
applying the following fixes available on PeopleSoft Customer
Connection.

Release Patch
8.18 8.18.15
8.19 8.19.12
8.20 8.20.03
8.42 8.42.14
8.43 8.43.11

For those who can not implement the patches promptly, as a mitigating
strategy a firewall or other HTTP filtering device can be used to block
queries containing sensitive strings, or as a last resort all access to
the PeopleSoft application can be disabled in entirety.

– CVE –

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) project has assigned
the name CAN-2003-0629 to this issue. This is a candidate for
inclusion in the CVE list (http://cve.mitre.org), which standardises
names for security problems.

– References –

[1] http://www.peoplesoft.com
[2] http://www.peoplesoft.com/corp/en/patch_fix/search.jsp

– Revision –

a. Initial release.
b. Minor detail revisions.
c. Revised to include vendor information.

– Distribution –

This security advisory may be freely distributed, provided that it
remains unaltered and in its original form.

– Disclaimer –

The information contained within this advisory is supplied "as-is" with
no warranties or guarantees of fitness of use or otherwise. Corsaire
accepts no responsibility for any damage caused by the use or misuse of
this information.

Copyright 2003 Corsaire Limited. All rights reserved.