CVE-2012-1219 in freelancerKit
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in freelancerKit 2.35 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) ticket parameter to tickets.php, (2) title parameter to notes.php, or (3) task parameter to todo.php. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1219 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting freelancerKit version 2.35, a web application designed for project management and task tracking. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate sanitization or encoding. The flaw manifests in three distinct attack vectors within the application's core functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it provides multiple entry points for malicious actors to exploit.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through three separate parameters that fail to properly validate or sanitize user input before rendering it within web page responses. The first vector involves the ticket parameter in the tickets.php file, where an attacker can inject malicious scripts when creating or modifying support tickets. The second vulnerability exists in the title parameter of notes.php, allowing attackers to insert harmful code into note titles that are subsequently displayed to other users. The third attack vector targets the task parameter in todo.php, where malicious input can be injected into task descriptions or titles. All three vectors demonstrate a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices that are essential for preventing XSS attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of authenticated user sessions. This capability allows threat actors to potentially escalate privileges, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of legitimate users. The vulnerability affects the application's core project management functionality, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on freelancerKit for business-critical operations. Attackers can leverage these flaws to compromise user accounts, manipulate project data, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive information that may include financial details, client communications, or proprietary project information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. Organizations should implement comprehensive parameter validation that filters or encodes all user-supplied data before processing or displaying it within web pages. The recommended approach involves adopting secure coding practices that align with the OWASP Top Ten security principles, particularly focusing on input validation and output encoding techniques. 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 executed. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, while maintaining up-to-date security patches and monitoring for exploitation attempts in network logs. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following the principle of least privilege and implementing proper access controls to limit the damage that can occur if XSS attacks are successfully executed.