CVE-2004-1865 in bBlog
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the administration panel in bBlog 0.7.2 allows remote authenticated users with superuser privileges to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a blog name ($blogname). NOTE: if administrators are normally allowed to add HTML by other means, e.g. through Smarty templates, then this issue would not give any additional privileges, and thus would not be considered a vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1865 represents a cross-site scripting weakness within the administration panel of bBlog version 0.7.2 that specifically targets authenticated superuser accounts. This security flaw resides in the handling of blog name parameters, where the application fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into web responses. The vulnerability occurs when a superuser modifies the blog name through the administrative interface, allowing malicious script code to be injected and subsequently executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected content.
This XSS vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The flaw enables an authenticated attacker with superuser privileges to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code through the blog name parameter, potentially compromising the integrity of the web application and the security of its users. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it leverages the elevated privileges of a superuser account, which typically has unrestricted access to all administrative functions within the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be exploited to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. Attackers could craft specially formatted blog names that contain malicious JavaScript payloads designed to steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even modify the application's functionality. Since the vulnerability requires superuser privileges to exploit, it represents a significant risk to organizations where administrative accounts are compromised, as the attacker would have complete control over the application's content and user data.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on Establishing Persistence through Web Shell creation and T1059 which covers Command and Scripting Interpreter techniques. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to inject malicious code that can persist in the application's content and execute whenever users access the affected pages. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited. The recommended mitigations include implementing strict sanitization of all user-supplied input, particularly in administrative interfaces, and ensuring that all content is properly escaped before being rendered in web browsers.
The vulnerability's classification as a medium severity issue reflects the fact that exploitation requires elevated privileges, but the potential for significant damage remains high. Even though the description notes that if administrators are normally allowed to add HTML through other means, the vulnerability would not provide additional privileges, this scenario represents an acceptable risk for organizations that maintain strict content management policies. The primary defense mechanisms should focus on input validation, output encoding, and proper privilege separation within the application's architecture. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed.