CVE-2012-1469 in Open Journal Systems
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Open Journal Systems before 2.3.7 allow remote attackers and remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) editor or (2) callback parameters to lib/pkp/lib/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/ibrowser/ibrowser.php in the iBrowser plugin, (3) authors[][url] parameter to index.php, or (4) Bio Statement or (5) Abstract of Submission fields to the stripUnsafeHtml function in lib/pkp/classes/core/String.inc.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1469 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within Open Journal Systems version 2.3.6 and earlier, affecting a widely used open source scholarly publishing platform. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's core components, specifically targeting the iBrowser plugin and various submission handling functions. The flaw allows both unauthenticated remote attackers and authenticated users to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers, creating a significant security risk for academic institutions and researchers relying on the platform for publication management.
The technical exploitation occurs through multiple attack vectors that demonstrate poor security design patterns in the application's data handling processes. The primary attack surface includes the editor and callback parameters within the iBrowser plugin's ibrowser.php file, where user-supplied input directly influences the rendering of dynamic content without proper sanitization. Additionally, the authors[][url] parameter in index.php provides another injection point, while the Bio Statement and Abstract fields in submission forms are vulnerable through the stripUnsafeHtml function in String.inc.php. These vulnerabilities align with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represent a classic case of insufficient output escaping and input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or manipulate the publication workflow. Academic institutions using Open Journal Systems become vulnerable to persistent security breaches that could compromise the integrity of their scholarly publications, user authentication systems, and sensitive research data. The vulnerability affects not only the platform's administrative functions but also its core submission and review processes, potentially allowing attackers to modify or corrupt publication metadata, undermining the credibility of academic research dissemination.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Open Journal Systems version 2.3.7 or later, which contains the necessary patches for these vulnerabilities. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough input validation on all user-supplied data, implement proper output encoding for dynamic content, and consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1211, which addresses exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications through injection techniques, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the platform, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining secure coding practices throughout the application lifecycle.