CVE-2012-2156 in Plume
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Plume CMS 1.2.4 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the u_email parameter (aka Authors Email field) to manager/users.php, (2) the u_realname parameter (aka Authors Name field) to manager/users.php, or (3) the c_author parameter (aka Author field) in an ADD A COMMENT section.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2156 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Plume CMS versions 1.2.4 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the content management system's user management and comment handling functionalities, creating multiple attack vectors that could enable malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of victim browsers. The flaw specifically impacts three distinct input parameters that are processed without adequate sanitization or output encoding, making them susceptible to injection attacks that could compromise user sessions and potentially lead to further system exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Plume CMS application. When users submit data through the Authors Email field using the u_email parameter, the application fails to properly sanitize the input before storing or displaying it in web pages. Similarly, the u_realname parameter in the Authors Name field and the c_author parameter in the comment author field lack proper sanitization measures, allowing attackers to inject malicious script code that executes when other users view the affected content. These parameters are directly processed in the manager/users.php script and comment handling sections without appropriate HTML escaping or context-aware encoding, creating persistent XSS vulnerabilities that can be triggered by unsuspecting users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to steal user sessions, deface websites, redirect users to malicious sites, or harvest sensitive information from authenticated sessions. An attacker could craft malicious payloads that exploit these vulnerabilities to establish persistent access to the CMS administration interface, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects both unauthenticated and authenticated users, as the XSS occurs during content display rather than during authentication processes, making it particularly dangerous for content management systems where administrators frequently view user-generated content and comments. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which describes "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering via malicious web content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2156 require immediate action including upgrading to a patched version of Plume CMS that addresses the input sanitization issues in the affected parameters. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing or displaying it within web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution contexts. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts targeting these specific parameter names. Additionally, user education regarding suspicious content and the importance of keeping CMS software updated remains crucial for maintaining overall security posture against such persistent threats.