CVE-2012-2209 in Piwigo
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in admin.php in Piwigo before 2.3.4 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) section parameter in the configuration module, (2) installstatus parameter in the languages_new module, or (3) theme parameter in the theme module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-2209 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Piwigo versions prior to 2.3.4. This vulnerability exists within the administrative interface of the web-based photo gallery software, specifically in three distinct parameter handling mechanisms. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's administrative pages, potentially compromising the security of administrators who access these interfaces. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets the configuration management modules of the application, which are typically accessed by users with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the Piwigo admin.php script. Attackers can exploit three separate vectors to inject malicious content, each corresponding to different administrative modules. The first vector involves the section parameter within the configuration module, where user-supplied input is directly incorporated into the page output without proper sanitization. The second vector targets the installstatus parameter in the languages_new module, while the third vector exploits the theme parameter in the theme module. These parameters are all processed in a manner that fails to properly escape or validate user-provided data before rendering it within the web page context, creating opportunities for XSS exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the context of administrator sessions. An attacker who successfully exploits any of these three vectors could potentially steal administrator cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify administrative settings, or even escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability affects the administrative interface specifically, which means that successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the photo gallery's administrative capabilities. Given that administrators typically have elevated permissions and access to sensitive configuration data, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to the overall security posture of systems running vulnerable Piwigo installations.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a classic example of unsafe output handling in web interfaces. The attack vectors described in CVE-2012-2209 map directly to the ATT&CK framework's technique T1566, which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for initial access or privilege escalation. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Piwigo should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to version 2.3.4 or later, implementing proper input validation for all administrative parameters, and applying output encoding to prevent script execution in web contexts. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious administrative access patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output sanitization in web applications, particularly within administrative interfaces where the potential impact of exploitation is amplified by the elevated privileges of affected users.