CVE-2013-4744 in PHPUnit
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the PHPUnit extension before 3.5.15 for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2019
The CVE-2013-4744 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the PHPUnit extension for TYPO3 content management system. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 3.5.15 and creates a significant security risk by allowing remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the TYPO3 environment. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the PHPUnit extension, which is commonly used for automated testing of TYPO3 installations. The unspecified vectors indicate that the attack could potentially occur through multiple entry points within the extension's functionality, making the exploitation surface broader and more unpredictable.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. This classification indicates that the vulnerability exists due to improper handling of user-supplied data that is subsequently rendered in web pages without adequate sanitization. The flaw operates by allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts through parameters or input fields that are processed by the PHPUnit extension, which then executes these scripts in the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when applications fail to properly encode or escape special characters in user-provided content before rendering it in web pages.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for TYPO3 installations that utilize the PHPUnit extension for testing purposes. Remote attackers could exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the testing environment, which often runs with elevated privileges and may have access to sensitive system information or database connections. Attackers could leverage this XSS vulnerability to escalate their privileges within the TYPO3 environment, potentially gaining access to administrative functions or sensitive data that should be protected.
The security implications extend beyond simple script injection, as this vulnerability could enable more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft, session hijacking, or data exfiltration. Given that TYPO3 installations often serve as the foundation for enterprise websites and content management systems, the compromise of a testing extension could provide attackers with insights into the overall system architecture and potentially lead to further exploitation of other vulnerabilities. The attack vectors for this vulnerability could include manipulated test parameters, malicious input in test case files, or even compromised test data that gets processed by the vulnerable extension.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4744 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected PHPUnit extension to version 3.5.15 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as input validation for all user-supplied data within the testing environment, output encoding of all dynamic content, and regular security audits of testing tools and extensions. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering traffic to and from the testing environments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreters, as the malicious scripts could be used to execute commands or establish persistence within the compromised environment. Regular security training for developers and administrators on secure coding practices and the importance of keeping testing tools updated remains essential for preventing similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into production environments.