CVE-2012-0313 in glucose 2
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in glucose 2 before stage 6.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an RSS feed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2018
The CVE-2012-0313 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the glucose 2 web application framework prior to version 6.2. This vulnerability specifically affects the RSS feed handling functionality, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The flaw resides in how the application processes and renders RSS feed content, failing to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into web pages. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because RSS feeds are commonly used for syndicating content across various platforms, making them a prime target for exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to craft malicious RSS feed entries containing embedded JavaScript or HTML payloads that get executed when users view the feed through the vulnerable glucose 2 application. When a user accesses a page that displays the compromised RSS feed, their browser executes the injected scripts within the context of the legitimate website, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack vector is entirely remote and does not require any special privileges or local access to the system. This vulnerability can be exploited through various methods including direct feed injection, compromised feed sources, or by manipulating feed parameters to include malicious content. The exploitation process typically involves creating an RSS feed entry with embedded script tags that execute when rendered by the vulnerable application, leveraging the trust relationship between the user and the legitimate website to carry out the attack.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0313 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to comprehensive session compromise and data exfiltration. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal user cookies, session tokens, and potentially sensitive information from authenticated users. The vulnerability also enables more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting through form redirection, browser fingerprinting, and creating persistent backdoors through malicious script injection. The affected environment becomes a potential staging ground for further attacks, as compromised user sessions can be used to escalate privileges or access additional systems within the network. Organizations using glucose 2 prior to version 6.2 face significant risk of unauthorized access and data breaches, particularly in environments where RSS feeds are actively consumed and displayed within web applications. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in scenarios where users have elevated privileges or access to sensitive data, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0313 primarily focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the RSS feed processing pipeline. The most effective solution involves upgrading to glucose 2 version 6.2 or later, which includes patches addressing the XSS vulnerability through proper sanitization of feed content. Organizations should implement strict content validation for all RSS feed inputs, including sanitizing HTML tags and JavaScript code from feed entries before rendering them in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Regular security audits of feed processing components and input validation routines should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious RSS feed content. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of feed processing functionality to ensure that all user-supplied content is properly sanitized and that no bypass mechanisms exist for the implemented security controls. Additionally, organizations should establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous feed activity that might indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques related to command and control communications and credential access.