CVE-2011-4670 in vTiger
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in vTiger CRM 5.2.1 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) viewname parameter in a CalendarAjax action, (2) activity_mode parameter in a DetailView action, (3) contact_id and (4) parent_id parameters in an EditView action, (5) day, (6) month, (7) subtab, (8) view, and (9) viewOption parameters in the index action, and (10) start parameter in the ListView action to the Calendar module; (11) return_action and (12) return_module parameters in the EditView action, and (13) query parameter in an index action to the Campaigns module; (14) return_url and (15) workflow_id parameters in an editworkflow action to the com_vtiger_workflow module; (16) display_view parameter in an index action to the Dashboard module; (17) closingdate_end, (18) closingdate_start, (19) date_closed, (20) owner, (21) leadsource, (22) sales_stage, and (23) type parameters in a ListView action to the Potentials module; (24) folderid parameter in a SaveandRun action to the Reports module; (25) returnaction and (26) groupId parameters in a createnewgroup action, (27) mode and (28) parent parameters in a createrole action, (29) src_module in a ModuleManager action, (30) mode and (31) profile_id parameters in a profilePrivileges action, and (32) roleid parameter in a RoleDetailView to the Settings module; and (33) action parameter to the Home module and (34) module parameter to phprint.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4670 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting vTiger CRM versions 5.2.1 and earlier, exposing multiple attack vectors across various modules within the application. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically manifesting in the handling of user-supplied parameters that are subsequently rendered without adequate sanitization or encoding. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions within the CRM environment. The attack surface spans across numerous modules including Calendar, Campaigns, com_vtiger_workflow, Dashboard, Potentials, Reports, Settings, and Home modules, demonstrating the widespread nature of the vulnerability throughout the application's functionality.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through multiple parameter injection points that bypass input validation mechanisms within the vTiger CRM framework. Attackers can manipulate parameters such as viewname, activity_mode, contact_id, parent_id, day, month, subtab, view, viewOption, start, return_action, return_module, query, return_url, workflow_id, display_view, closingdate_end, closingdate_start, date_closed, owner, leadsource, sales_stage, type, folderid, returnaction, groupId, mode, parent, src_module, mode, profile_id, roleid, action, and module to inject malicious payloads. These parameters are processed through various actions including CalendarAjax, DetailView, EditView, index, ListView, SaveandRun, createnewgroup, createrole, ModuleManager, profilePrivileges, RoleDetailView, and phprint.php, indicating that the vulnerability exists in core input handling routines rather than isolated components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to potentially compromise the entire CRM infrastructure and user data integrity. When exploited, these XSS vulnerabilities allow attackers to manipulate the user interface, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject persistent scripts that can harvest sensitive information from authenticated users. The attack vectors span across different user roles and permissions, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges or access restricted data depending on the user's access level within the system. Given that vTiger CRM is often used for managing customer relationships and business-critical data, successful exploitation could lead to significant data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage for organizations relying on the platform. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple modules suggests that standard input validation measures were inadequately implemented throughout the application's architecture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms across all user-supplied parameters. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of vTiger CRM or apply the appropriate security patches released by the vendor to address the XSS flaws. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers, proper parameter validation, and HTML encoding of all dynamic content can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Security measures should include regular input validation checks, parameterized queries, and thorough sanitization of all user inputs before rendering them in web pages. Additionally, organizations should implement security monitoring to detect unusual parameter usage patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation of these vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for scripting and T1566 for spearphishing with attachments, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls that address both the technical implementation flaws and potential attack vectors. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other components of the system.