CVE-2011-2476 in Photo Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Coppermine Photo Gallery (CPG) before 1.5.12 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-4667.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2476 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the Coppermine Photo Gallery (CPG) web application ecosystem. This issue affects versions prior to 1.5.12 and enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that differ from the previously documented CVE-2010-4667, indicating a distinct exploitation pathway within the application's codebase. The flaw resides in the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input that gets reflected back to users in web pages, creating an avenue for malicious code injection that can persist across multiple user interactions.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when user input intended for display within the photo gallery interface is not adequately filtered or escaped before being rendered in web responses. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that when processed by the vulnerable CPG application, execute within the browser context of authenticated users. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The weakness manifests when the application fails to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, allowing untrusted data to be interpreted as executable code rather than mere text content.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2476 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, redirect users to malicious websites, or manipulate gallery content. When exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within the application environment, potentially compromising multiple user accounts and gallery data integrity. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require local system access or physical presence, making it particularly dangerous in web environments where multiple users interact with the gallery. This vulnerability can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more extensive attacks within the network, especially when the photo gallery is integrated with other systems or when users have elevated privileges within the application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate application patching to version 1.5.12 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection layers against script execution, while regular security audits and code reviews help identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. Security practitioners should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques that address command and control communications and credential access through web application vulnerabilities.