CVE-2014-8577 in Croogo
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Croogo before 2.1.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) data[Contact][title] parameter to admin/contacts/contacts/add page; (2) data[Block][title] or (3) data[Block][alias] parameter to admin/blocks/blocks/edit page; (4) data[Region][title] parameter to admin/blocks/regions/add page; (5) data[Menu][title] or (6) data[Menu][alias] parameter to admin/menus/menus/add page; or (7) data[Link][title] parameter to admin/menus/links/add/menu page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2025
The CVE-2014-8577 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the Croogo content management system prior to version 2.1.0. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within multiple administrative pages of the CMS, creating multiple attack vectors that allow remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of victim browsers. The flaw specifically targets parameters used in administrative interfaces, making it particularly dangerous as it could enable attackers to compromise administrator sessions or manipulate the CMS functionality directly.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper handling of user-supplied data in several key administrative endpoints. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious scripts through the data[Contact][title] parameter in the admin/contacts/contacts/add page, or through the data[Block][title] and data[Block][alias] parameters in the admin/blocks/blocks/edit page. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to the data[Region][title] parameter in admin/blocks/regions/add page, and data[Menu][title] and data[Menu][alias] parameters in admin/menus/menus/add page, as well as the data[Link][title] parameter in admin/menus/links/add/menu page. These parameters are processed without adequate sanitization, allowing attackers to inject HTML and JavaScript code that executes when other users view the affected pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, defacement of the website, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. The vulnerability's presence in administrative interfaces means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain full control over the CMS administration panel, potentially leading to complete compromise of the web application and underlying server. The XSS vectors are particularly dangerous because they target the administrative backend where sensitive operations occur, making the attack surface much more impactful than typical frontend XSS vulnerabilities.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws resulting from insufficient input validation and output encoding. The attack patterns associated with this vulnerability follow common techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities and T1059 for execution through command injection or script execution. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities, including proper sanitization of all user inputs before processing and displaying them in web interfaces. The remediation strategy involves upgrading to Croogo version 2.1.0 or later, where these XSS vulnerabilities have been addressed through improved input validation and sanitization controls.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of secure coding practices in web application development, particularly in administrative interfaces where input validation is critical. This flaw demonstrates how seemingly minor input handling issues can create significant security risks when they occur in privileged application areas. Security teams should implement regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar input validation flaws in other web applications, as the attack vectors described here represent common patterns that appear across numerous CMS platforms and web applications. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper security monitoring to detect and respond to exploitation attempts in a timely manner.