CVE-2011-4264 in Etomite
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Etomite before 1.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2019
The CVE-2011-4264 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw identified in Etomite content management systems prior to version 1.1. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically affects Etomite versions before 1.1, indicating that the developers had not yet addressed this particular security gap in their codebase. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack could potentially occur through multiple entry points within the application's user input handling mechanisms, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a threat modeling perspective.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. This means that when users interact with the vulnerable Etomite application, malicious actors can inject scripts that will be executed by the user's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged to perform more sophisticated attacks such as those categorized under the ATT&CK framework's T1059.007 technique for command and scripting interpreter. The lack of specific vector details in the original description implies that the vulnerability may exist across multiple input points within the application's interface, including form fields, URL parameters, or even user-generated content handling mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations utilizing Etomite CMS platforms, as it creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited by attackers without requiring any special privileges or access credentials. Users who visit compromised web pages or interact with malicious content within the vulnerable system may unknowingly execute attacker-controlled code, leading to potential data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, or complete compromise of user sessions. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the "A03:2021-Injection" and "A07:2021-Identification and Authentication Failures" categories, as it enables unauthorized code execution and can facilitate session manipulation. Organizations running affected Etomite installations face the risk of their users being redirected to phishing sites, having their cookies stolen, or experiencing complete browser compromise through the execution of malicious JavaScript payloads.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-4264 should prioritize immediate patching of all affected Etomite installations to version 1.1 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Security teams should implement comprehensive input sanitization routines that filter and escape all user-supplied data before processing or displaying it within the application interface. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers provides an additional layer of defense by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded, effectively mitigating the impact of XSS attacks even if other defenses fail. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while maintaining regular security audits to identify potential XSS vulnerabilities in other applications within their infrastructure. The remediation process must include thorough testing of the patched environment to ensure that legitimate functionality remains intact while eliminating the XSS attack surface. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators should emphasize the importance of keeping CMS platforms updated and implementing proper security configurations to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.