CVE-2012-0220 in ikiwiki
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the meta plugin (Plugin/meta.pm) in ikiwiki before 3.20120516 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) author or (2) authorurl meta tags.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0220 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in the ikiwiki content management system, specifically within its meta plugin component. This flaw affects versions prior to 3.20120516 and exposes the system to remote code execution through malicious web script injection. The vulnerability manifests in the Plugin/meta.pm file where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages, creating an avenue for attackers to manipulate the application's output.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the meta plugin's handling of author and authorurl metadata fields. When ikiwiki processes these meta tags, it fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. Attackers can exploit this by injecting malicious scripts into the author or authorurl fields during content creation or modification, which then get executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who view the affected pages. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamic web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to establish persistent malicious presence on compromised websites. Users visiting pages containing the injected scripts could experience session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of ikiwiki's metadata handling system, potentially compromising the integrity of all content that relies on author information. This represents a significant risk for collaborative environments where multiple users contribute content, as a single compromised author field could affect numerous pages throughout the wiki.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0220 require immediate patching of affected ikiwiki installations to version 3.20120516 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers, ensuring that all user-provided metadata fields undergo strict sanitization before being stored or rendered. The fix should incorporate proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content, particularly in meta tag fields, following secure coding practices aligned with the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious meta tag injections, while establishing monitoring protocols to identify unauthorized modifications to content metadata fields. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the exploitation of input validation weaknesses in web applications.