CVE-2012-0995 in ZenPhoto
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ZENphoto 1.4.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) msg parameter in an external action to zp-core/admin.php, (2) PATH_INTO to an unspecified URL, as demonstrated using /1/, (3) PATH_INFO to zp-core/admin.php, or (4) album parameter to zp-core/admin-edit.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2021
The CVE-2012-0995 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting ZENphoto version 1.4.2, a popular content management system for photo galleries and web publishing. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's administrative interfaces, creating multiple attack vectors that could enable remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users' browsers. The flaw specifically targets the application's handling of user-supplied parameters in administrative endpoints, making it particularly dangerous as it could allow attackers to compromise administrator sessions and gain full control over the photo gallery system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through four distinct parameter injection points within the ZENphoto administrative framework. The first vector involves the msg parameter in external actions to zp-core/admin.php, where unfiltered user input gets directly incorporated into the page response without proper HTML escaping or sanitization. The second vulnerability occurs with the PATH_INTO parameter when processing unspecified URLs, particularly demonstrated through the /1/ path, indicating that the application fails to properly validate or sanitize URL path components. The third attack vector involves the PATH_INFO parameter in zp-core/admin.php, where server-supplied path information is not adequately sanitized before being rendered in web responses. Finally, the fourth vulnerability targets the album parameter in zp-core/admin-edit.php, where user-provided album names or identifiers are not properly escaped or validated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal administrative credentials, modify or delete photo gallery content, and potentially escalate privileges within the system. When an administrator accesses a maliciously crafted URL containing injected scripts, the attacker's code executes within the administrator's browser context, potentially enabling full system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates poor input validation practices that violate secure coding principles. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that these vulnerabilities exist in administrative interfaces where privileged access is already granted, meaning successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0995 require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the affected ZENphoto application. Organizations should implement comprehensive parameter validation for all user-supplied inputs, particularly those used in administrative contexts, and ensure that all dynamic content is properly escaped before rendering in web responses. The recommended approach includes implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, using parameterized queries for database operations, and applying input sanitization libraries that can handle various script injection attempts. Additionally, regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, and access controls should be strengthened to limit administrative privileges to only necessary users. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachments, indicating that exploitation could occur through both direct script injection and social engineering vectors targeting administrators.