CVE-2014-5105 in ol-commerce
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ol-commerce 2.1.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) a_country parameter in a process action to affiliate_signup.php or (2) entry_country_id parameter in an edit action to admin/create_account.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5105 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting ol-commerce version 2.1.1, specifically targeting the administrative and affiliate registration components of the platform. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw manifests in two distinct attack vectors within the application's architecture, demonstrating the complexity and widespread nature of the security breach.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the ol-commerce platform's handling of user-supplied data. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by manipulating the a_country parameter during the process action in the affiliate_signup.php file or by manipulating the entry_country_id parameter during the edit action in the admin/create_account.php file. These parameters are not adequately sanitized or escaped before being rendered back to users, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be executed within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient output encoding where user-controllable data flows directly into HTML contexts without proper security measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5105 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The vulnerability affects both frontend affiliate registration processes and backend administrative functions, creating a significant attack surface that could compromise the entire platform's security posture. When exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute malicious code in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack requires no special privileges beyond basic web access and can be executed through standard web browser interactions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. All user-supplied data must be sanitized before being processed or displayed, with particular attention to parameters used in HTML contexts. The recommended approach involves implementing strict whitelisting of valid country codes and proper HTML escaping of all dynamic content. Security patches should address both identified attack vectors by ensuring that the a_country parameter in affiliate_signup.php and the entry_country_id parameter in admin/create_account.php are properly validated and sanitized. Organizations should also implement comprehensive logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, while following ATT&CK framework techniques for defensive measures including input validation and output encoding controls. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices and regular security assessments to prevent such widespread cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications.