CVE-2011-4942 in Geeklog
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in admin/configuration.php in Geeklog before 1.7.1sr1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) subgroup or (2) conf_group parameters. NOTE: this vulnerability might require a user-assisted attack or a bypass of a CSRF protection mechanism.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2017
The CVE-2011-4942 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Geeklog content management system prior to version 1.7.1sr1. This vulnerability resides within the admin/configuration.php administrative interface file, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise administrator sessions or manipulate the CMS configuration. The flaw manifests through two distinct parameter injection points: the subgroup and conf_group parameters, which are processed without adequate input validation or output sanitization. These parameters are typically used for configuring various system settings within the administrative dashboard, making them particularly dangerous when exploited by malicious actors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the injection of malicious script code into the affected parameters, which are then rendered in the administrative interface without proper HTML escaping or sanitization. When an administrator accesses the configuration page with maliciously crafted parameters, the injected scripts execute in the context of the administrator's browser session. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized administrative actions, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 indicates it is a classic client-side code injection flaw where untrusted data flows into HTML output without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to gain elevated privileges within the CMS environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially modify system configurations, create new administrative accounts, or even execute arbitrary code on the server if additional vulnerabilities exist. The requirement for user-assisted attack or CSRF bypass mechanisms suggests that while the vulnerability is exploitable, it may require social engineering or additional attack vectors to achieve full compromise. However, the presence of this vulnerability still poses significant risk to organizations relying on unpatched Geeklog installations, particularly in environments where administrators frequently access the configuration interface.
Security professionals should prioritize patching affected systems immediately, as the vulnerability affects versions prior to 1.7.1sr1 and represents a known exploit in the cybersecurity landscape. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, following the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework for web application security. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies including CSRF protection mechanisms, regular security assessments, and proper access controls to prevent unauthorized administrative access. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious parameter values can provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities in the future.