CVE-2010-2154 in CMScout
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Search Site in CMScout 2.09, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search parameter. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
The CVE-2010-2154 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in CMScout 2.09 and potentially other versions of the content management system. This vulnerability resides within the Search Site functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it targets one of the most frequently used features of web applications. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code through the search parameter, effectively enabling them to execute arbitrary code within the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the top ten web application security risks by OWASP. The vulnerability operates by failing to properly sanitize or escape user input before rendering it in web responses, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed without proper validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft or defacement. When exploited, the XSS flaw can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The search functionality typically processes user input and displays it back to the user interface, making it an ideal vector for XSS attacks. Attackers can craft malicious search queries containing script tags or other malicious code that gets executed when other users view the search results. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core search functionality of the CMS, which means that any user interacting with the search feature could potentially be compromised. The attack surface is broad since search parameters are often used by both regular users and administrators, providing multiple entry points for exploitation.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566.001 for Phishing and T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to execute malicious scripts within user browsers. The vulnerability also maps to the broader ATT&CK tactic of Execution and Persistence, as successful exploitation could lead to maintaining access through malicious scripts embedded in search results. The affected CMScout 2.09 version represents a legacy system that likely lacks modern security protections such as Content Security Policy headers, proper input validation, or output encoding mechanisms. The third-party information mentioned in the CVE description suggests that this vulnerability may have been discovered through security research or community reporting, highlighting the importance of continuous security monitoring and vulnerability assessment. Organizations using this CMS would have been particularly vulnerable due to the nature of the flaw and the fact that it resides in a core application feature. The remediation process would require implementing proper input sanitization, output encoding, and potentially adding Content Security Policy headers to mitigate the risk of script execution. Additionally, this vulnerability underscores the critical need for regular security updates and patch management, as the flaw existed in a specific version of the CMS that was likely vulnerable to other related attacks due to its outdated security measures.