CVE-2013-4171 in Roller
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Apache Roller before 5.0.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to the search results in the (1) RSS and (2) Atom feed templates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4171 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Apache Roller versions prior to 5.0.2. This vulnerability resides within the web application's handling of search results in both RSS and Atom feed templates, creating a persistent security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of affected user sessions. The flaw demonstrates the classic characteristics of XSS vulnerabilities that have been catalogued under CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-provided input within the search functionality of Apache Roller's feed templates. When users perform searches that generate results displayed in RSS or Atom feeds, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This oversight allows attackers to craft malicious search queries containing embedded script tags or other malicious payloads that get executed when other users view the affected feed results. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring authentication or special privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-4171 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be weaponized to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject persistent XSS payloads that remain active within the feed templates, potentially affecting numerous users who consume these feeds through various RSS readers or web applications. The vulnerability's persistence across different feed formats and its ability to affect both RSS and Atom templates creates a broad attack surface that significantly increases the potential for exploitation and damage. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1059.008 technique for 'Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell' and T1566.001 for 'Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment', as it enables attackers to deliver malicious payloads through legitimate feed consumption patterns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4171 primarily involve upgrading to Apache Roller version 5.0.2 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive content security policies that include proper HTML escaping of all user-provided content before rendering it in web templates. Additionally, the deployment of web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and implement automated scanning tools to identify potential XSS vulnerabilities in web applications. The remediation process should also include proper security training for developers to understand the importance of input validation and output encoding in preventing XSS attacks, as this vulnerability highlights the critical need for secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten security guidelines and industry best practices for web application security.