CVE-2012-4278 in Free Realty
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Free Realty 3.1-0.6 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) notes parameter to (a) admin/agenteditor.php; (2) title, (3) previewdesc, (4) fulldesc, or (5) notes parameter (b) to agentadmin.php or (c) in an addlisting action to agentadmin.php; or unspecified vectors to (d) admin/adminfeatures.php.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2025
The CVE-2012-4278 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Free Realty 3.1-0.6 web application that exposes multiple attack vectors allowing remote adversaries to execute malicious scripts within victim browsers. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically affects the admin/agenteditor.php, agentadmin.php, and admin/adminfeatures.php files within the Free Realty platform, creating a comprehensive attack surface that spans multiple administrative interfaces.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the application's handling of user-supplied data. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by submitting malicious payloads through several parameters including notes, title, previewdesc, fulldesc, and other unspecified vectors. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly escape or encode special characters in user inputs before rendering them in web pages, allowing attackers to inject HTML tags and JavaScript code that executes in the context of legitimate users' browsers. This particular vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects administrative interfaces, potentially allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges or access sensitive data within the application's administrative environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4278 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks within the context of the Free Realty application. Attackers could use this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify content displayed to other administrators, or potentially escalate privileges within the application's administrative system. The vulnerability's presence in multiple files including admin/agenteditor.php, agentadmin.php, and admin/adminfeatures.php creates a wide attack surface that could be exploited through various entry points, making it particularly challenging to secure completely. This multi-vector nature of the vulnerability increases the probability of successful exploitation and reduces the effectiveness of partial defensive measures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-4278 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase, particularly in the affected PHP files. Organizations should implement strict sanitization of all user inputs before processing or displaying them in web interfaces, following the principle of least privilege for administrative functions, and ensuring that all parameters including notes, title, previewdesc, and fulldesc are properly escaped before rendering. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1566.001 for Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it enables attackers to deliver malicious scripts through compromised web interfaces. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security code reviews can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions of the application.