CVE-2012-4384 in LetoDMS
Summary
by MITRE
letodms has multiple XSS issues: Reflected XSS in Login Page, Stored XSS in Document Owner/User name, Stored XSS in Calendar
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2025
The CVE-2012-4384 vulnerability affects letodms, a document management system that suffers from multiple cross-site scripting flaws. This vulnerability category falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting attacks where malicious scripts are injected into web applications. The vulnerability presents three distinct attack vectors that collectively weaken the system's security posture and expose users to potential exploitation.
The first vulnerability manifests as reflected cross-site scripting on the login page, where user input is not properly sanitized before being returned to the browser. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' sessions. The reflected nature means that the malicious payload must be crafted to be included in a URL or form submission, making it particularly dangerous for social engineering attacks. This flaw directly violates the principle of input validation and output encoding as outlined in OWASP Top Ten A03:2021.
The second vulnerability involves stored cross-site scripting in document owner and user name fields, where user-provided data is persisted in the database without proper sanitization. This creates a persistent threat where malicious scripts are stored and executed whenever the affected data is displayed. The stored nature of this vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous because the payload remains active even after the initial injection, allowing attackers to maintain access to victim sessions over extended periods. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-80 and represents a significant risk to user session integrity.
The third vulnerability affects the calendar functionality, where stored cross-site scripting can occur in calendar-related user inputs. This vector demonstrates how multiple components within the same application can suffer from similar security flaws, indicating a systemic issue with input validation and output encoding throughout the application. The calendar component likely processes user-submitted events, descriptions, or other metadata that is not properly sanitized before rendering in web pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-4384 is significant as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, and potentially escalate privileges within the document management system. Attackers could use these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to sensitive documents and information, potentially leading to data breaches and compliance violations. The combination of reflected and stored XSS vulnerabilities creates a multi-layered attack surface that can be exploited through various means including phishing campaigns, direct exploitation, or through compromised user accounts.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The system should employ proper sanitization of all user inputs, particularly in fields where data is stored and subsequently displayed. Implementing Content Security Policy headers, using secure coding practices for HTML output encoding, and conducting regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing are essential measures. Additionally, the application should implement proper session management controls and consider using the principle of least privilege to limit the damage that can be caused by successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of applying defense-in-depth strategies and following secure coding guidelines as specified in NIST SP 800-160 and OWASP Secure Coding Practices.