CVE-2013-0177 in Open For Business Project
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in widget/screen/ModelScreenWidget.java in Apache Open For Business Project (aka OFBiz) 10.04.x before 10.04.05, 11.04.01, and possibly 09.04.x allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) Screenlet.title or (2) Image.alt Widget attribute, as demonstrated by the parentPortalPageId parameter to exampleext/control/ManagePortalPages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2013-0177 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Apache Open For Business Project commonly known as OFBiz. This security weakness affects multiple versions of the enterprise resource planning platform including 10.04.x versions prior to 10.04.05, 11.04.01, and potentially 09.04.x releases. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the widget screen management component, specifically in the ModelScreenWidget.java file that handles screenlet and image widget attributes.
The technical flaw manifests when authenticated users exploit the insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input in two primary attribute fields: Screenlet.title and Image.alt widget attributes. Attackers can manipulate these parameters through the parentPortalPageId parameter within the exampleext/control/ManagePortalPages endpoint to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code. This vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is improperly integrated into web pages viewed by other users. The attack vector requires authentication, making it a server-side vulnerability that can be exploited by compromised or malicious authenticated users within the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web interfaces, steal sensitive user data, or redirect users to malicious websites. Since OFBiz serves as an enterprise resource planning system handling business-critical data, the exploitation of this vulnerability could compromise entire business processes and lead to significant financial and reputational damage. The authenticated nature of the attack means that adversaries need only obtain legitimate credentials to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged accounts exist.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the official patches released by Apache OFBiz for versions 10.04.05, 11.04.01, and the corresponding 09.04.x releases. Additionally, organizations should enhance their input validation mechanisms by implementing strict sanitization of all user-supplied data before processing and storage. The mitigation strategy should align with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which addresses the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities through input validation bypasses. Regular security assessments and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor for suspicious parameter manipulation attempts. Given the nature of this vulnerability, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation can help limit the potential impact of authenticated attacks, while comprehensive logging and monitoring should be enabled to detect unauthorized exploitation attempts.