CVE-2010-2281 in TomatoCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in TomatoCMS 2.0.6 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) keyword or (2) bannerid parameter in conjunction with a /admin/ad/banner/list PATH_INFO; and allow remote authenticated users, with certain privileges, to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (3) title or (4) answers parameter in conjunction with a /admin/poll/add PATH_INFO, or the (5) name parameter in conjunction with a /admin/category/add PATH_INFO.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-2281 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting TomatoCMS version 2.0.6, specifically targeting the content management system's administrative interfaces. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where an application fails to properly validate or escape user input before rendering it in web pages. The flaw exists in multiple attack vectors within the CMS's administrative components, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by both unauthenticated remote attackers and authenticated users with specific privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation in several key administrative endpoints. The first set of vulnerabilities manifests when attackers manipulate the keyword or bannerid parameters within the PATH_INFO of the /admin/ad/banner/list endpoint, allowing malicious script execution in the context of the victim's browser. Similarly, the second set of vulnerabilities appears in the /admin/poll/add endpoint where title or answers parameters can be exploited when combined with the specific PATH_INFO. The third vector occurs in the /admin/category/add endpoint where the name parameter becomes vulnerable when paired with its respective PATH_INFO. These attack vectors demonstrate a pattern of insufficient sanitization of user-provided input before it is processed and rendered back to users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the browser of any user who views the affected pages. This creates a persistent threat where malicious actors can steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or even deface the entire website. The vulnerability affects both unauthenticated and authenticated users, meaning that even users without administrative privileges can potentially exploit these flaws, though the authenticated vector requires specific permissions. The exploitation of these vulnerabilities can lead to complete compromise of the CMS administration, data theft, and unauthorized content modification, making it a critical security concern for any organization using TomatoCMS 2.0.6.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the TomatoCMS application to the latest available version that addresses these XSS flaws. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms, particularly for all parameters used in administrative interfaces. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that administrative users only have access to the specific functionality they require, reducing the potential impact of successful exploitation. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security audits of web applications can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 which covers Scripting, and T1566 which covers Phishing, as attackers can use these vulnerabilities to deliver malicious scripts to unsuspecting users through various social engineering techniques.