CVE-2007-5443 in CMS Made Simple
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in CMS Made Simple 1.1.3.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors related to (1) the anchor tag and (2) listtags.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5443 represents a critical security flaw in CMS Made Simple version 1.1.3.1 that exposes the system to multiple cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The flaw specifically affects two distinct components of the CMS platform: the anchor tag implementation and the listtags functionality, both of which serve as potential entry points for malicious actors to execute unauthorized scripts within the context of user sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the CMS Made Simple framework. When users create or edit content through the administrative interface, the system fails to properly sanitize user input before storing or rendering it in web pages. The anchor tag vulnerability likely occurs when users can insert malicious script code within URL parameters or attributes that are then processed without proper sanitization. Similarly, the listtags component may not adequately validate or escape user-provided content that gets rendered as HTML elements. These weaknesses create persistent XSS attack vectors that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or privileged access to the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-5443 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, execute malicious code in the context of legitimate users, and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. An attacker could leverage these vulnerabilities to inject malicious scripts that steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even install malware on victim machines. The implications are particularly severe in environments where CMS Made Simple serves as the primary content management platform for organizations, as successful exploitation could compromise entire websites and their associated user data. According to ATT&CK framework category T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, this vulnerability enables attackers to execute JavaScript code within the victim's browser context, while T1566.001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment represents a potential exploitation vector that attackers might use to deliver malicious payloads through compromised CMS content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the CMS Made Simple application to version 1.1.3.2 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes for these XSS vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, ensuring that all user-supplied content is properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. Security teams should also conduct regular security assessments of their web applications, including automated scanning and manual penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. The remediation process should include thorough testing of all content management functions, particularly those involving user-generated content, to ensure that the applied fixes do not introduce regressions in functionality while effectively addressing the identified XSS vulnerabilities.