CVE-2013-7082 in Flow
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the errorAction method in the ActionController base class in TYPO3 Flow (formerly FLOW3) 1.1.x before 1.1.1 and 2.0.x before 2.0.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified input, which is returned in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2022
The CVE-2013-7082 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in TYPO3 Flow's ActionController base class, specifically within the errorAction method. This vulnerability affected TYPO3 Flow versions 1.1.x prior to 1.1.1 and 2.0.x prior to 2.0.1, creating a significant security risk for web applications built on this framework. The flaw emerged from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the error handling process, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content through unspecified input parameters that were subsequently reflected in error messages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the framework's errorAction method processes user input without proper sanitization before rendering error messages. When malformed or malicious input reaches the error handling component, the system fails to properly escape or filter the content, resulting in the execution of injected scripts within the context of the victim's browser. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to severe security implications in web applications. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the framework's legitimate error reporting mechanisms to deliver malicious payloads, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-7082 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive user data, session hijacking capabilities, and the ability to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. Attackers could craft malicious requests that would trigger error messages containing their injected scripts, which would then execute in the browsers of unsuspecting users who encountered these error conditions. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers "Phishing with Malicious Attachments" and "Spearphishing via Service", as attackers could exploit this weakness to deliver malicious content through error responses. The risk is amplified in environments where users have elevated privileges or where sensitive information is processed through the affected framework components.
Organizations using affected TYPO3 Flow versions should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions 1.1.1 or 2.0.1, respectively, as these releases contain the necessary input sanitization fixes. Additionally, implementing comprehensive input validation at multiple layers of the application, including the framework level and custom application code, provides defense-in-depth protection. Security teams should also deploy web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and establish monitoring procedures to identify unusual error message patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper error handling practices and input sanitization, particularly in framework-level components that handle user-supplied data, as these components often serve as attack vectors for sophisticated exploitation techniques.