CVE-2013-5314 in serendipity
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in serendipity_admin_image_selector.php in Serendipity 1.6.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the serendipity[htmltarget] parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2025
The CVE-2013-5314 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw located within the serendipity_admin_image_selector.php component of the Serendipity blogging platform version 1.6.2 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into web responses. The specific parameter affected is serendipity[htmltarget], which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's administrative interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. This particular flaw operates as a reflected XSS attack, where malicious payloads are injected through the targeted parameter and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected administrative interface. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it occurs within the administrative image selector functionality, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative operations or compromise user sessions through session hijacking techniques.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the compromised environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of authenticated administrative sessions, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in the image selector component suggests that it could be exploited during routine administrative tasks, making it particularly dangerous as it may not immediately trigger suspicion from security monitoring systems. This type of vulnerability also supports various attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting web applications through script injection vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-5314 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Serendipity installations to version 1.6.3 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures that enforce strict validation of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in administrative interfaces. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed within the application context. Regular security audits of web application components should include thorough testing of parameter handling mechanisms to identify similar vulnerabilities. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect suspicious patterns in HTTP requests containing script injection attempts. Additionally, implementing proper output encoding for all dynamic content ensures that even if malicious input were to bypass validation, it would not be executed as code in the user's browser context.