CVE-2013-3616 in KnowledgeView Editorial
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the KnowledgeView Editorial and Management application allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the username parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2024
The CVE-2013-3616 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the KnowledgeView Editorial and Management application, a content management system widely deployed in enterprise environments for document and knowledge base administration. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user input, specifically the username parameter, which fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming data before processing. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising the entire user session and accessing sensitive information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects administrative components of the system, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to critical system functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output encoding practices within the KnowledgeView application's web interface. When the application processes the username parameter without adequate sanitization, it allows malicious payloads to be stored and subsequently executed when other users view the affected content. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, where the system fails to validate or encode user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The vulnerability exists due to the application's failure to implement proper contextual output encoding for different execution contexts such as html attributes, javascript contexts, or css contexts, making it susceptible to injection attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-3616 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious websites, or even modify content within the application. Given that this affects an editorial and management application, successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized content modification, data leakage, or complete compromise of the knowledge base system. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that would persistently execute against all users accessing the compromised application, creating a persistent threat vector that could remain undetected for extended periods. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or insider knowledge to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application is publicly accessible.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-3616 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the KnowledgeView application. Organizations should immediately apply vendor patches or updates if available, as this vulnerability was likely addressed through proper parameter sanitization and context-aware output encoding. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewalls and input sanitization libraries can help prevent malicious payloads from reaching the application's core processing logic, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the exploitation of vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation in web applications.