CVE-2011-3835 in Wuzly
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Wuzly 2.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Referer header to (1) admin/login.php and (2) admin/404.php; the (3) q parameter to search.php; the (4) theme_name parameter to theme_settings.php, (5) extension_name parameter to extension_settings.php, (6) q parameter to search.php, (7) type parameter to comments.php, sort parameter to (8) pages.php and (9) posts.php, and the (10) type and (11) q parameter to media.php in admin/; the sidebar parameter to (12) add_widget.php and (13) widgets.php, id parameter to (14) category_delete.php, (15) comment.php, (16) page_delete.php, and (17) post_delete.php, (18) type parameter to media.php, and (19) id and (20) sidebar parameter to widget_delete.php in mobile/; and the (21) name, (22) email, (23) website, and (24) comment parameters to index.php; and the (25) username parameter to admin/login.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-3835 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Wuzly 2.0 content management system. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within multiple administrative and frontend components of the application. The vulnerability manifests across twenty-five distinct endpoints, creating an extensive attack surface that allows remote threat actors to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated user sessions. The exploitation occurs through various HTTP parameters that are directly incorporated into web responses without proper sanitization, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect both administrative and public-facing interfaces.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows the classic XSS attack pattern where user-controllable input is reflected back to the browser without appropriate encoding or filtering. The affected parameters span across multiple file handlers including login.php, search.php, theme_settings.php, and various deletion scripts, indicating a systemic failure in input validation throughout the application's codebase. This widespread presence suggests either a lack of centralized input sanitization routines or inconsistent security practices during development. The vulnerability specifically targets the Referer header and multiple GET parameters, which are commonly used in web applications for navigation, search functionality, and administrative operations, making the attack vectors particularly versatile and difficult to defend against through simple perimeter controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the administrative interface. The attack surface covers both frontend user interaction points and backend administrative functions, meaning that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise. Security researchers have identified this as a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which classifies it as a fundamental web application security weakness that directly enables XSS attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1566.001: Phishing, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to craft convincing phishing campaigns that appear legitimate to users, potentially leading to credential theft or further system infiltration.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all application components. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied data before it is processed or rendered in web responses, particularly for parameters that are used in HTML generation. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish proper input validation routines that filter out potentially malicious characters. Regular security assessments should include automated scanning for similar vulnerabilities, and developers should follow secure coding practices that prevent direct parameter injection into dynamic HTML generation. The vulnerability's widespread nature indicates that a systematic approach to security hardening across the entire application architecture is necessary rather than isolated fixes to individual endpoints. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and session management mechanisms can limit the damage that could occur if an attacker successfully exploits any of these vulnerabilities.