CVE-2012-1898 in Wolf CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in wolfcms/admin/user/add in Wolf CMS 0.75 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) user[name], (2) user[email], or (3) user[username] parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1898 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in Wolf CMS version 0.75 and earlier, specifically affecting the administrative user management functionality. This flaw exists within the /admin/user/add endpoint where user input parameters are not properly sanitized or validated before being processed and rendered back to users. The vulnerability impacts three distinct input fields including user[name], user[email], and user[username] which are all susceptible to malicious script injection attacks. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and output encoding that violates fundamental web application security principles.
This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Cross-Site Scripting and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it represents an exploitable weakness in a publicly accessible administrative interface. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of the affected system. The attack vector requires no authentication for exploitation since it targets the administrative user creation endpoint, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by attackers to inject malicious code that persists in the application's user management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate user accounts, steal administrative privileges, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability specifically affects the user registration process within Wolf CMS's administrative interface, meaning that any legitimate user with access to the admin panel could potentially be targeted. The flaw creates a persistent threat where malicious scripts injected through the vulnerable parameters would execute every time the affected page is loaded, making it particularly dangerous for long-term compromise. This vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input sanitization practices that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-1898 should focus on immediate patching of Wolf CMS to version 0.76 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the XSS vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms for all user-supplied data, particularly in administrative interfaces where sensitive operations occur. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper HTML escaping techniques would provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar input validation weaknesses. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while maintaining detailed logging of administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and the need for regular security updates to protect against known exploitation techniques.