CVE-2014-125108 in online-spellchecker-py
Summary
by MITRE • 12/23/2023
A vulnerability was found in w3c online-spellchecker-py up to 20140130. It has been rated as problematic. This issue affects some unknown processing of the file spellchecker. The manipulation leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be initiated remotely. The complexity of an attack is rather high. The exploitation is known to be difficult. The identifier of the patch is d6c21fd8187c5db2a50425ff80694149e75d722e. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The identifier VDB-248849 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-125108 represents a cross site scripting vulnerability within the w3c online-spellchecker-py library, specifically affecting versions up to 20140130. This flaw resides in the spellchecker processing functionality and demonstrates a critical security weakness that enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts into vulnerable applications. The vulnerability has been classified with a problematic rating, indicating significant security implications for systems utilizing this spell checking component. The issue manifests through improper input validation and sanitization within the spellchecker module, creating an attack vector that can be exploited to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized code on victim browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate filtering of user-supplied input within the spellchecker processing pipeline. When the spellchecker component handles text input from users, it fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This processing flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of the victim's browser when the spellchecker functionality is invoked. The attack vector is remote, meaning that malicious actors can exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that rely on online spell checking services. The exploitation complexity is noted as high, requiring sophisticated attack techniques and specific conditions to successfully compromise systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and full browser compromise. Attackers could leverage this XSS vulnerability to steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject additional malicious payloads that persist across user sessions. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that web applications using this spellchecker library are at risk regardless of their physical location or network security measures. Organizations that have deployed the affected version of the w3c online-spellchecker-py library face significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious blog comments, user profile fields, or any input field that utilizes spell checking functionality. The difficulty of exploitation, while noted as high, does not eliminate the risk since determined attackers can overcome these obstacles through advanced techniques.
Security mitigation for this vulnerability requires immediate patch application, with the specific fix identified by the patch identifier d6c21fd8187c5db2a50425ff80694149e75d722e. Organizations should prioritize updating to the patched version of the w3c online-spellchecker-py library to eliminate this XSS vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization measures, output encoding, and content security policies can provide defense-in-depth protection against similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross site scripting flaws in web applications, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1212 for exploitation of web application vulnerabilities. System administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of this library within their environments and ensure complete remediation through patch management processes. Regular security audits and dependency monitoring are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced through outdated or unpatched third-party libraries in web applications.