CVE-2012-1863 in SharePoint
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 SP2 and SP3 Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SP2, and SharePoint Foundation 2010 Gold and SP1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted JavaScript elements in a URL, aka "SharePoint Reflected List Parameter Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2021
The CVE-2012-1863 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007 and SharePoint Foundation 2010 products, specifically affecting versions with Service Pack 2 and SP3 respectively. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the SharePoint list parameter handling functionality, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts through carefully crafted URLs containing malicious JavaScript elements. The flaw exists in the way SharePoint processes and reflects user-supplied parameters within list views, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard web browser interactions without requiring special privileges or authentication. The vulnerability affects both SharePoint Server 2007 and Foundation 2010 installations, with the issue persisting across multiple service pack versions, indicating a fundamental design flaw in the parameter sanitization process that was not adequately addressed through the patching cycle.
This reflected XSS vulnerability operates by leveraging the SharePoint platform's handling of URL parameters that are directly reflected back to users in list views and other web interfaces. When a malicious user crafts a URL containing specially formatted JavaScript code within list parameter values, the SharePoint server processes these parameters without proper sanitization, causing the malicious code to be executed in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability specifically targets the list parameter processing functionality where user input is not properly escaped or validated before being rendered in web responses. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it can be delivered through social engineering techniques, phishing emails, or compromised web links that appear legitimate to users interacting with SharePoint sites. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Phishing through Spearphishing Attachment, as the malicious payloads can be embedded within seemingly benign SharePoint list parameters.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-1863 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to SharePoint environments and potentially escalate privileges within the organization's web infrastructure. Successful exploitation allows threat actors to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify content displayed in SharePoint lists, and potentially gain access to sensitive organizational data stored within SharePoint repositories. The vulnerability can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where SharePoint serves as a central collaboration platform, as it can compromise the integrity of shared documents, user authentication tokens, and internal communication channels. Organizations with extensive SharePoint deployments face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited to create backdoors, establish command and control channels, or facilitate further attacks against other systems within the network perimeter. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attacks can be executed immediately upon visiting a maliciously crafted URL, without requiring any persistent infrastructure or complex attack chains.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-1863 should prioritize immediate implementation of Microsoft security patches and updates for affected SharePoint versions, as the vulnerability was addressed through official security releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious parameter values from being processed or reflected in web responses. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and URL filtering systems can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to detect and block malicious requests containing known XSS patterns. Security configuration reviews should focus on implementing proper parameter sanitization within SharePoint list views and ensuring that user input is properly escaped before being rendered in web contexts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of SharePoint environments should include specific testing for reflected XSS vulnerabilities in list parameter handling, with attention to both authenticated and unauthenticated attack scenarios. Organizations should also implement user education programs to raise awareness about phishing attempts that may leverage this vulnerability, as social engineering remains a primary delivery method for exploiting such XSS flaws in SharePoint environments.