CVE-2011-5176 in Banana Dance
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in search.php in Banana Dance, possibly B.1.5 and earlier, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) q or (2) category parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-5176 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Banana Dance content management system, specifically affecting versions B.1.5 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the search.php script which processes user input for search queries and category filtering operations. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web responses. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads in the q (query) or category parameters, which are then executed in the context of other users' browsers who access the affected search functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is embedded into web pages viewed by other users. This particular implementation flaw demonstrates a classic reflected XSS vulnerability where the malicious script is reflected off the web server back to the user's browser. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication or privileged access, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can influence the search parameters. The vulnerability affects the core search functionality of the application, which is typically a frequently accessed feature, amplifying the potential impact of exploitation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations using Banana Dance systems. When exploited, the malicious scripts can perform various harmful actions including stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, defacing web pages, or executing unauthorized commands on behalf of victims. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation can occur through social engineering techniques where attackers trick users into clicking malicious links containing the exploit payload. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where the application handles sensitive user data or where administrators rely on search functionality for content management tasks.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves updating to the latest version of Banana Dance that contains proper input validation and output encoding fixes. Additionally, implementing proper parameter sanitization techniques using established libraries and frameworks can prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in custom applications. Web Application Firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting common vulnerable parameters like q and category. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection by restricting script execution and reducing the impact of successful XSS attacks. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in related applications and ensure comprehensive protection against cross-site scripting threats.