CVE-2012-1081 in Ya Googlesearch
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Yet another Google search (ya_googlesearch) extension before 0.3.10 for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2018
The CVE-2012-1081 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Yet another Google search extension for the TYPO3 content management system. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 0.3.10 and exposes web applications to remote code execution through malicious script injection attacks. The flaw exists in the extension's handling of user input within the search functionality, creating a persistent security gap that attackers can exploit to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the extension's search parameter processing. When users interact with the Google search functionality provided by this TYPO3 extension, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the browser context of other users who view the affected search results or pages. The unspecified vectors indicate that the vulnerability could be triggered through multiple entry points within the extension's codebase, including search query parameters, result displays, or configuration settings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user data, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even escalate privileges within the TYPO3 environment. Attackers can craft malicious search queries that, when executed by other users, would execute unauthorized scripts in their browsers. This creates a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially allow for broader system infiltration. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using TYPO3 CMS with the affected extension, where user-generated content or search functionality is heavily utilized.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including updating to version 0.3.10 or later of the ya_googlesearch extension, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and conducting thorough security audits of all TYPO3 extensions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in web application security. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to limit script execution and monitor for suspicious search parameters that could indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs and properly encoding output in web applications to prevent XSS attacks.
The attack surface for this vulnerability can be expanded through various ATT&CK framework techniques including initial access through web application exploitation, privilege escalation via session hijacking, and persistence mechanisms that leverage the injected scripts. Security teams should monitor network traffic for suspicious patterns and implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security assessments of CMS extensions and their compatibility with current security standards remain essential practices for preventing similar vulnerabilities in the future.