CVE-2012-1209 in Fork
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in backend/core/engine/base.php in Fork CMS 3.2.4 and possibly other versions before 3.2.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the highlight parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1209 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Fork CMS content management system version 3.2.4 and earlier releases. This security weakness resides in the backend/core/engine/base.php file where the application fails to properly sanitize user input before processing it within the web application's response. The specific parameter affected is the highlight parameter which is utilized for text highlighting functionality within the CMS interface. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads that are injected through this parameter, allowing them to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers who interact with the compromised CMS.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. This weakness occurs when an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or encoding, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. The flaw operates at the application layer where user-supplied input is not adequately filtered or escaped before being rendered back to users, making it a classic example of an injection vulnerability that can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users within the CMS environment.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to Fork CMS deployments as it allows remote attackers to compromise the integrity of the web application and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. The attack vector requires no authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed by anyone who has access to the vulnerable CMS instance. Successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the content management system, allowing attackers to modify content, create new user accounts, or even install backdoors for persistent access. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of the CMS who may be exposed to malicious scripts when navigating to pages that utilize the highlight functionality, creating a widespread impact across all users of the vulnerable version.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability involves upgrading to Fork CMS version 3.2.5 or later where the security flaw has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should immediately implement this upgrade as a priority security measure, ensuring that all instances of the CMS are updated to prevent exploitation. Additionally, implementing proper input validation at the application level, including the use of Content Security Policy headers, can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in the highlight parameter usage, and regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues within the application's codebase. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output encoding practices in web application development, particularly in CMS platforms where user-generated content processing is common. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application attack pattern under the technique of code injection, specifically targeting the application's data handling processes and user interaction flows.