CVE-2010-1515 in TomatoCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in TomatoCMS 2.0.6 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) keyword or (2) article-id parameter in conjunction with a /admin/news/article/list PATH_INFO; the (3) keyword parameter in conjunction with a /admin/multimedia/set/list PATH_INFO; the (4) keyword or (5) fileId parameter in conjunction with a /admin/multimedia/file/list PATH_INFO; or the (6) name, (7) email, or (8) address parameter in conjunction with a /admin/ad/client/list PATH_INFO.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-1515 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting TomatoCMS versions 2.0.6 and earlier. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the content management system's administrative interfaces, specifically targeting multiple pathways where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web responses without proper security measures. The vulnerability affects several administrative modules including news articles, multimedia management, and advertising client listings, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially allow attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated admin sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic XSS attack pattern where parameters such as keyword, article-id, fileId, name, email, and address are processed through PATH_INFO handling mechanisms without appropriate sanitization. When these parameters are passed through the URL structure, the application fails to properly encode or escape the input before rendering it in HTML responses. This creates multiple attack vectors across different administrative sections of the CMS, with each path representing a separate entry point for potential exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the administrative level, meaning successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise through session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data manipulation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts and HTML code within the browser context of authenticated administrators. The attack could result in unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions, data theft, modification of content, or even complete system takeover if the attacker can leverage the XSS to obtain elevated privileges. The multi-path nature of this vulnerability increases the attack surface significantly, as different parameters across various administrative modules can all be exploited. This creates a complex threat landscape where an attacker might need to identify which specific path is most accessible, but the overall risk remains high due to the multiple potential exploitation routes.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. The attack patterns align with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 sub-technique for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could potentially use these vulnerabilities to establish persistent access through malicious script injection. The vulnerability also relates to T1566.001 for social engineering attacks, as the XSS could be used to craft phishing campaigns that appear legitimate to administrators. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper PATH_INFO handling. The recommended approach includes implementing Content Security Policy headers, sanitizing all user inputs, and ensuring proper escaping of data before rendering in HTML contexts. Additionally, upgrading to a patched version of TomatoCMS would provide the most effective long-term solution to address this vulnerability.