CVE-2012-4932 in Simple Invoices
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in SimpleInvoices before stable-2012-1-CIS3000 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the having parameter in a manage action to index.php; (2) the Email field in an Add User action; (3) the Customer Name field in an Add Customer action; the (4) Street address, (5) Street address 2, (6) City, (7) Zip code, (8) State, (9) Country, (10) Mobile Phone, (11) Phone, (12) Fax, (13) Email, (14) PayPal business name, (15) PayPal notify url, (16) PayPal return url, (17) Eway customer ID, (18) Custom field 1, (19) Custom field 2, (20) Custom field 3, or (21) Custom field 4 field in an Add Biller action; (22) the Customer field in an Add Invoice action; the (23) Invoice or (24) Notes field in a Process Payment action; (25) the Payment type description field in a Payment Types action; (26) the Description field in an Invoice Preferences action; (27) the Description field in a Manage Products action; or (28) the Description field in a Tax Rates action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-4932 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting SimpleInvoices version prior to stable-2012-1-CIS3000. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the web application's user interface components. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into various input fields throughout the application's management interface, creating a persistent security risk that can affect multiple user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability spans across numerous input vectors within the SimpleInvoices application, demonstrating a systemic weakness in data sanitization practices. Attackers can exploit the having parameter in manage actions to inject malicious code through index.php, while also targeting user registration and customer management forms. The vulnerability affects not only basic text fields but also specialized input areas such as billing information, payment processing, and administrative configuration sections. Each of these 28 distinct input points represents a potential entry vector for malicious payloads that can execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, and manipulate application functionality. When users view compromised pages containing malicious scripts, these scripts execute in their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to access session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or modify application data. The widespread nature of affected input fields increases the attack surface significantly, making it easier for threat actors to find a successful exploitation path. This vulnerability particularly impacts web applications following the CWE-79 pattern of cross-site scripting, where insufficient validation of user-provided data creates opportunities for malicious code execution.
The implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious input and T1059 for command and control through script execution. Organizations using SimpleInvoices face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to financial information, and compromise of user credentials. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple administrative functions makes it particularly dangerous, as successful exploitation can lead to complete application compromise. Remediation requires implementing comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and proper sanitization mechanisms across all user-facing input fields.
Security practitioners should prioritize immediate patching of affected SimpleInvoices installations and implement additional defensive measures such as web application firewalls and content security policies. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights the need for regular security assessments of business-critical software systems. Organizations should also consider implementing automated testing procedures to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and establish robust security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.