CVE-2012-0986 in ImpressCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ImpressCMS 1.2.x before 1.2.7 Final and 1.3.x before 1.3.1 Final allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the PATH_INFO to (1) notifications.php, (2) modules/system/admin/images/browser.php, and (3) modules/content/admin/content.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0986 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting ImpressCMS versions prior to 1.2.7 Final and 1.3.1 Final. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user input through the PATH_INFO parameter, which is commonly used in web applications to pass additional information to scripts. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser by injecting arbitrary web script or HTML code into the application's response. The affected files include notifications.php, modules/system/admin/images/browser.php, and modules/content/admin/content.php, indicating that the vulnerability spans across multiple administrative components of the CMS.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses in web applications. This classification indicates that the application fails to properly validate or sanitize input data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The PATH_INFO parameter processing in these specific files demonstrates a failure in input sanitization, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed when other users view the affected pages. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it affects administrative interfaces, potentially providing attackers with elevated privileges or access to sensitive administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. When attackers exploit this vulnerability through the administrative interfaces, they can potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive system configurations, user data, or even administrative controls. The fact that multiple files are affected suggests a systemic issue in the application's input handling mechanisms rather than isolated incidents. This vulnerability particularly threatens organizations using ImpressCMS for content management, as it could allow attackers to compromise the entire website's integrity and potentially use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks against the organization's network infrastructure.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical skill and can be accomplished through simple HTTP requests containing malicious payloads in the PATH_INFO parameter. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability affects administrative components that are frequently accessed by authorized personnel. Security best practices recommend implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework classification would place this under T1566, specifically targeting credential access through malicious web content, while also potentially enabling T1059 for command and control through compromised administrative interfaces. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities.