CVE-2010-2970 in MoinMoin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in MoinMoin 1.9.x before 1.9.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted content, related to (1) action/SlideShow.py, (2) action/anywikidraw.py, and (3) action/language_setup.py, a similar issue to CVE-2010-2487.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2970 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting MoinMoin wiki software versions 1.9.x prior to 1.9.3. This issue manifests through three distinct action modules within the application's codebase, creating multiple attack vectors for malicious actors seeking to exploit web application security flaws. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's user interface, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the SlideShow.py, anywikidraw.py, and language_setup.py action modules. These components fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where the application fails to sanitize or validate user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This weakness directly enables persistent XSS attacks where malicious scripts can be stored and executed whenever affected pages are accessed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with potential access to user sessions, cookies, and sensitive information. When users view pages containing malicious content, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in collaborative wiki environments where multiple users contribute content, as a single compromised page can affect numerous users over time. Attackers can leverage this weakness to create persistent backdoors within the wiki environment, establish surveillance capabilities, or manipulate content to spread further attacks.
Organizations using affected MoinMoin versions should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to version 1.9.3 or later, which contains patches addressing the XSS vulnerabilities in the identified modules. Additionally, administrators should implement proper input validation at multiple layers including application-level sanitization, output encoding for user-generated content, and regular security assessments of wiki content. The mitigation strategy should align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers Scripting, focusing on preventing malicious script execution through proper input validation and output encoding. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies and web application firewalls to provide additional protection layers against similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patched versions to ensure no regression in functionality while maintaining the security improvements.