CVE-2010-2717 in CruxCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in manager/login.php in CruxSoftware CruxCMS 3.0, and possibly earlier, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the txtusername parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2717 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within CruxSoftware CruxCMS 3.0 authentication interface. This security weakness resides in the manager/login.php script where user input is not properly sanitized before being processed and rendered back to the browser. The vulnerability specifically affects the txtusername parameter which is used during the login process, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit the system's authentication mechanism. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code directly into the login page, potentially compromising user sessions and system integrity.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that occurs when an application includes untrusted data in a new web page without proper validation or escaping. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it targets the login interface, which is one of the most critical components of any content management system. When an attacker successfully injects malicious code through the txtusername parameter, the injected script executes in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the compromised system. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can be leveraged to redirect users to malicious sites or execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are severe for any organization utilizing CruxCMS 3.0 or earlier versions. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability exists in the authentication process, which means that successful exploitation could result in unauthorized administrative access, content manipulation, or data exfiltration. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, where attackers leverage web application flaws to gain initial access. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious payloads that are submitted through the login form, which are then executed in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session fixation or credential harvesting. Organizations running affected versions of CruxCMS face significant risk of data breaches and system compromise through this vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2717 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected CruxCMS versions, with the implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement proper parameter sanitization techniques that prevent HTML and script tags from being processed as legitimate input. The solution involves ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly escaped before being rendered back to the browser, particularly in authentication interfaces where such vulnerabilities are most dangerous. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in other components of their web applications, as this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor input handling flaws can lead to significant security breaches. The remediation process should include thorough testing of all user input fields within the application to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other areas of the codebase.