CVE-2014-2091 in ATutor
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mods/_standard/forums/admin/forum_add.php in ATutor 2.1.1 allows remote authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the title parameter in an add_forum action. NOTE: the original disclosure also reported issues that may not cross privilege boundaries.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2014-2091 represents a cross-site scripting flaw located within the ATutor 2.1.1 learning management system, specifically in the administrative forum management component. This issue resides in the file mods/_standard/forums/admin/forum_add.php which handles the creation of new forums through the add_forum action. The vulnerability manifests when authenticated administrators with appropriate privileges submit malicious input through the title parameter, enabling them to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response. The flaw operates as a classic reflected XSS vulnerability where user-supplied data flows directly into the HTTP response without proper sanitization or encoding.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the ATutor administrative interface. When administrators access the forum creation functionality, the application fails to properly sanitize the title parameter before rendering it in the HTML response. This allows malicious actors who have gained administrative access to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers who view the affected forum content. The vulnerability specifically targets the title field of forum creation forms, making it particularly dangerous as forum titles appear prominently in user interfaces and navigation elements. The flaw is categorized under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers with administrative privileges to establish persistent backdoors within the learning management system. Once an attacker gains administrative access, they can inject malicious scripts that persistently execute in users' browsers, potentially harvesting session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing unauthorized actions within the ATutor environment. The vulnerability's cross-privilege boundary aspect suggests that it could be exploited in scenarios where attackers might have gained administrative access through other means, potentially escalating their control over the entire system. This type of vulnerability can lead to complete compromise of the learning platform, allowing unauthorized access to student data, course materials, and administrative functions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2091 should focus on immediate input sanitization and output encoding implementations within the ATutor codebase. The primary fix involves implementing proper HTML escaping or encoding for all user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, particularly in the forum title parameter handling. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation that rejects or strips potentially dangerous characters and patterns from user submissions. Regular security audits of web applications should include thorough testing of all input fields for XSS vulnerabilities, with particular attention to administrative interfaces where privilege escalation risks are highest. The remediation process should follow secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations and NIST guidelines for web application security, ensuring that all user input is properly validated and sanitized before being processed or displayed within the application's user interface.