CVE-2012-0933 in Acidcat
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Acidcat CMS 3.5.1, 3.5.2, 3.5.6, and possibly earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the PATH_INFO to (1) admin_colors.asp, (2) admin_config.asp, and (3) admin_cat_add.asp in admin/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0933 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Acidcat CMS versions 3.5.1, 3.5.2, 3.5.6, and potentially earlier releases. This vulnerability resides within the administrative components of the content management system, specifically impacting three key files located in the admin/ directory. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data passed through the PATH_INFO parameter. This parameter is commonly used in web applications to pass additional information to scripts, making it a prime target for injection attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated admin sessions. When an attacker crafts a malicious PATH_INFO string and directs it to any of the affected administrative endpoints admin_colors.asp, admin_config.asp, or admin_cat_add.asp, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input before processing it. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be exploited by attackers who have access to the administrative interface or who can manipulate users into visiting malicious links. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets administrative functions, which means successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the content management system's administrative interface. An attacker could potentially modify website configurations, alter content, create new administrative accounts, or even inject malicious code that persists across sessions. The attack surface is significant since these administrative endpoints are typically protected by authentication mechanisms, but the XSS vulnerability can be leveraged to bypass certain security controls or to establish a foothold within the system. This aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe security consequences.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of Acidcat CMS should implement immediate mitigations including input validation at the application level, proper output encoding of all user-supplied data, and comprehensive security testing of web applications. The recommended approach involves implementing proper sanitization routines that filter or escape special characters in PATH_INFO parameters before they are processed by the application. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security practitioners should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious PATH_INFO patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security controls throughout the application development lifecycle, particularly when dealing with administrative interfaces that handle sensitive operations. The attack patterns associated with this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, where attackers leverage XSS to execute malicious scripts in the victim's browser context.