CVE-2014-9325 in TWiki
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in TWiki 6.0.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) QUERYSTRING variable in lib/TWiki.pm or (2) QUERYPARAMSTRING variable in lib/TWiki/UI/View.pm, as demonstrated by the QUERY_STRING to do/view/Main/TWikiPreferences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9325 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in TWiki version 6.0.1 that exposes the application to remote code execution through malicious web script injection. This vulnerability specifically targets the application's handling of user input within the QUERYSTRING and QUERYPARAMSTRING variables, creating exploitable pathways that allow attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially compromise user sessions. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied parameters before incorporating them into dynamic web content, creating persistent XSS vectors that can be leveraged for various malicious activities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within TWiki's core modules, particularly in lib/TWiki.pm and lib/TWiki/UI/View.pm. When the application processes the QUERY_STRING parameter through the do/view/Main/TWikiPreferences endpoint, it fails to properly escape or filter user-controllable input, allowing malicious payloads to be executed within the context of other users' browsers. This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as the injection of malicious code into web applications, and more specifically to CWE-80 which addresses the improper neutralization of script-related HTML tags in a web page. The attack vector operates through the manipulation of HTTP query parameters that are directly incorporated into the application's response without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, redirect victims to malicious domains, or even execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. An attacker could craft a malicious URL containing script payloads that, when visited by an unsuspecting user, would execute within that user's browser session, potentially compromising their TWiki account and access to confidential information. The vulnerability's presence in TWiki's core UI components means that the attack surface is broad, affecting multiple application functions that process user input through the vulnerable parameter handling mechanisms. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities to gain initial access to target systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9325 should prioritize immediate application patching to address the root cause of the vulnerability in TWiki 6.0.1. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures that sanitize all user-supplied parameters before they are processed or displayed in web responses. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security auditing of web applications, including thorough parameter validation testing, should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. Security teams should also establish proper web application firewall rules to detect and block suspicious query parameter patterns that could indicate attempted XSS exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices, which are fundamental requirements in secure web application development as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and other industry security standards.