CVE-2014-6294 in External links click statistics
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the External links click statistics (outstats) extension 0.0.3 and earlier for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2018
The CVE-2014-6294 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the TYPO3 content management system's External links click statistics extension known as outstats. This vulnerability affects versions 0.0.3 and earlier, creating a significant security risk for TYPO3 installations that utilize this extension. The flaw resides in how the extension processes and renders external link click statistics, potentially allowing malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of victim users' browsers. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete account compromise or unauthorized modifications to website content.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the outstats extension's codebase. Attackers can exploit unspecified vectors to inject malicious payloads through external link parameters that are not properly escaped or validated before being rendered in web pages. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. The weakness manifests when user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web page output without proper encoding or sanitization, creating an environment where malicious scripts can execute in the context of other users' browsing sessions. The extension's failure to adequately process external link statistics creates a persistent attack surface that remote adversaries can leverage without requiring elevated privileges or complex exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-6294 extends far beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that leverage the victim's authenticated session. An attacker could inject malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or modify website content to spread malware to other visitors. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where TYPO3 administrators or editors access the system through web browsers, as these users' sessions could be hijacked to perform unauthorized administrative actions. This risk is compounded by the fact that the vulnerability affects the statistics extension, which typically runs with elevated privileges to track and report on external link activity, potentially providing attackers with additional attack vectors for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the web application environment.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to protect their TYPO3 installations. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to the latest version of the outstats extension where the XSS vulnerability has been patched and properly addressed. Additionally, administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their TYPO3 configurations to prevent similar issues from occurring in other extensions or custom code. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1566 highlights the importance of implementing proper security controls around external link handling and user input processing. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other TYPO3 extensions or custom implementations, as this type of flaw often indicates broader issues with input sanitization practices within the application codebase.