CVE-2012-2237 in Mahara
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Mahara 1.4.x before 1.4.3 and 1.5.x before 1.5.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to (1) javascript innerHTML as used when generating login forms, (2) links or (3) resources URLs, and (4) the Display name in a user profile.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2025
The CVE-2012-2237 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the Mahara learning management system version 1.4.x before 1.4.3 and 1.5.x before 1.5.2. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's core functionality, particularly impacting user authentication flows and profile management components. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of victim browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or session hijacking. The vulnerability manifests across multiple attack vectors including javascript innerHTML manipulation during login form generation, improper handling of links and resource URLs, and unsafe display name rendering in user profiles.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through several distinct pathways that collectively demonstrate poor security implementation in the Mahara platform. The primary attack vector involves javascript innerHTML manipulation when generating login forms, where user-supplied input is directly inserted into the document object model without proper sanitization. Additionally, the system fails to properly validate and encode links and resource URLs, allowing attackers to inject malicious javascript code that executes when users navigate to affected pages. The fourth vector targets user profile display names where the application does not adequately sanitize user input before rendering it in the browser context. These vulnerabilities collectively map to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The weakness exists due to inadequate input validation and output encoding practices that fail to properly escape special characters and script tags in user-supplied content.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-2237 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling sophisticated attack scenarios that can compromise entire user sessions and system integrity. An attacker could leverage these vulnerabilities to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject persistent scripts that maintain access even after initial exploitation. The vulnerability affects core authentication and user management functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it could allow unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive educational data. In enterprise environments using Mahara for learning management, this vulnerability could enable attackers to gain access to student records, course materials, and administrative functions. The attack surface is broad since it affects multiple user interaction points including login flows, resource access, and profile management interfaces, making comprehensive protection challenging. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script execution and T1566 for social engineering techniques that could be employed in conjunction with these XSS flaws.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2237 require immediate patching of affected Mahara versions to 1.4.3 or 1.5.2 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary input validation and output encoding fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures that properly escape special characters and validate all user-supplied content before processing. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks, while proper output encoding mechanisms should be enforced throughout the application's user interface components. Regular security audits and code reviews should focus on input validation patterns and ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in browser contexts. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection patterns, and user education regarding suspicious links and content should be implemented to reduce successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security controls in web applications that handle user-generated content, as the consequences of failing to address such flaws can extend far beyond simple script execution to encompass complete system compromise and data breaches.