CVE-2013-4722 in Cm3 Acora Content Management System
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Admin/login/default.asp in DDSN Interactive cm3 Acora CMS 6.0.6/1a, 6.0.2/1a, 5.5.7/12b, 5.5.0/1b-p1, and possibly other versions allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) username, (2) url, (3) qstr parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The CVE-2013-4722 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the DDSN Interactive cm3 Acora CMS versions 6.0.6/1a, 6.0.2/1a, 5.5.7/12b, 5.5.0/1b-p1, and potentially other iterations. This vulnerability exists within the Admin/login/default.asp component of the content management system, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit administrative interfaces. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing or rendering within the web application's response. The vulnerability specifically affects three parameter fields including username, url, and qstr, which are commonly used in authentication and navigation contexts within web applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding. The flaw operates by allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's response through the vulnerable parameters, enabling unauthorized execution of code in the context of the victim's browser. When an authenticated administrator or user accesses a page containing the maliciously injected script, the code executes within their browser session, potentially leading to complete account compromise, session hijacking, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can be leveraged to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, making it particularly dangerous in administrative contexts where elevated privileges are involved.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-4722 is significant for organizations utilizing affected CMS versions, as it provides attackers with a direct path to compromise administrative accounts and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system functionalities. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious payloads that persist across user sessions, potentially enabling them to modify content, delete database entries, or establish backdoor access to the system. The attack vector requires minimal privileges as it targets the login page, making it accessible to any remote attacker without requiring prior authentication. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for social engineering and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as the injected scripts can be used to execute arbitrary commands or establish persistent access. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, data breaches, and unauthorized modifications to website content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4722 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems with the latest CMS updates from DDSN Interactive, as the vendor likely released security patches addressing these vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications to prevent similar issues in the future, ensuring all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before processing. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of administrative interfaces, while web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers against XSS attacks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other web applications. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patches to ensure they do not introduce regressions in system functionality, while also implementing proper logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators should emphasize the importance of keeping software updated and recognizing potential social engineering attempts that might exploit such vulnerabilities.