CVE-2012-3805 in Kajona
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the getAllPassedParams function in system/functions.php in Kajona before 3.4.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) absender_name, (2) absender_email, or (3) absender_nachricht parameter to the content page; (4) comment_name, (5) comment_subject, or (6) comment_message parameter to the postacomment module; (7) module parameter to index.php; (8) action parameter to the admin login page; (9) pv or (10) pe parameter in a list action to the user module; (11) user_username, (12) user_email, (13) user_forename, (14) user_name, (15) user_street, (16) user_postal, (17) user_city, (18) user_tel, or (19) user_mobil parameter in a newUser action to the user module; (20) group_name or (21) group_desc parameter in a groupNew action to the user module; (22) name, (23) browsername, (24) seostring, (25) keywords, or (26) folder_id parameter in a newPage action to the pages module; (27) element_name or (28) element_cachetime parameter in a newElement action in the pages module; (29) aspect_name parameter in a newAspect action in the system module; (30) filemanager_name, (31) filemanager_path, (32) filemanager_upload_filter, or (33) filemanager_view_filter parameter in a NewRepo action to the filemanager module; or (34) archive_title or (35) archive_path parameter in a newArchive action to the downloads module. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-3805 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the Kajona content management system prior to version 3.4.2. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the getAllPassedParams function located in system/functions.php, which processes user-supplied parameters without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The flaw exists across multiple modules and parameters, creating a broad attack surface that spans from basic content management functions to user administration and system configuration operations. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize input, specifically manifesting as reflected cross-site scripting that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental security weakness in parameter handling throughout the Kajona platform's architecture. Attackers can exploit this flaw by injecting malicious scripts through various input vectors including sender name, email, and message fields in content pages, comment submission parameters, administrative login actions, user and group management functions, page creation parameters, element configuration settings, system module aspects, file manager operations, and download archive configurations. Each of these parameters passes user input directly into the application's output without proper HTML entity encoding or script validation, creating persistent XSS opportunities that can execute in the context of victim browsers. The attack vectors span across multiple functional areas of the CMS, indicating a systemic issue in input sanitization practices rather than isolated component failures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of authenticated users' browsers. This capability allows for session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and potential privilege escalation within the CMS environment. Attackers could manipulate user sessions, gain unauthorized access to administrative functions, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects not only regular users but also administrators, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The broad range of affected parameters suggests that successful exploitation could occur through multiple entry points, increasing the probability of successful attacks and making defensive measures more challenging to implement. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious HTML emails and T1059.001 for command and control through script injection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the Kajona platform. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to Kajona version 3.4.2 or later, which includes proper sanitization of user inputs in the getAllPassedParams function. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities, ensure all user-supplied data undergoes proper HTML entity encoding before rendering, and establish robust input validation routines that filter or reject suspicious characters and patterns. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security audits of all CMS modules to identify similar input handling vulnerabilities, implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and establish monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized script injections. Regular security testing including automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to ensure ongoing protection against similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process must also include user education regarding the dangers of clicking suspicious links and the importance of keeping CMS software updated to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.