CVE-2011-4274 in A-Form PC
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the A-Form PC and PC/Mobile before 3.1 plug-ins for Movable Type allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-2676.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2018
The CVE-2011-4274 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the A-Form PC and PC/Mobile plug-ins for Movable Type content management system versions prior to 3.1. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of web application security weaknesses that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The issue specifically affects web applications that utilize Movable Type's plug-in architecture for form handling and user interaction, creating potential attack vectors through improperly sanitized input processing. The vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2011-2676, indicating separate code paths or implementation flaws within the Movable Type ecosystem. Such vulnerabilities typically arise when web applications fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, creating opportunities for malicious actors to execute unauthorized scripts in victim browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors that likely involve form submission handling or dynamic content generation within the A-Form plug-ins. Attackers can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view affected pages. This typically happens when user input is directly incorporated into web page content without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic XSS pattern where malicious payloads are stored or reflected in web applications, allowing attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The impact is particularly concerning for content management systems where users may have elevated privileges, as successful exploitation could lead to complete account compromise or unauthorized content modification.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-4274 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to establish persistent footholds within affected web applications. When users interact with compromised pages, their browsers execute the injected code, which can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects both desktop and mobile versions of the plug-in, indicating a widespread impact across different user platforms and device types. Organizations using Movable Type systems with affected plug-in versions face significant risk of data breaches, unauthorized content manipulation, and potential regulatory compliance violations. The vulnerability's presence in the form handling components suggests that any user input processed through these forms could become a potential attack surface, making it particularly dangerous for sites that rely heavily on user-generated content or interactive forms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-4274 should focus on immediate patching of affected Movable Type installations to version 3.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other parts of their web applications. The fix typically involves proper sanitization of user input before rendering it in web pages, implementing Content Security Policies, and ensuring that all dynamic content generation includes appropriate escaping mechanisms. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their Movable Type installations to identify any other potentially affected components or plug-ins that may exhibit similar weaknesses. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious activities and implementing web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts, aligning with defensive strategies recommended in the CWE catalog for XSS vulnerabilities and the ATT&CK framework's techniques for command and control communications through web interfaces.