CVE-2014-9349 in RobotStats
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in admin/robots.lib.php in RobotStats 1.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) nom or (2) user_agent parameter to admin/robots.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9349 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the RobotStats 1.0 web application's administrative interface. This issue resides within the admin/robots.lib.php file and specifically affects the admin/robots.php endpoint where user input is improperly sanitized before being rendered in web responses. The vulnerability manifests through two distinct parameter injection points namely the 'nom' and 'user_agent' parameters, which together create a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of authenticated administrator sessions. This type of 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 client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft malicious input strings containing script tags or other HTML elements that will be processed and displayed without proper sanitization or encoding. When administrators access the affected pages with these malicious inputs present in either the nom or user_agent parameters, the injected scripts execute in the administrator's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized administrative actions. The impact is particularly severe because the vulnerability exists within the administrative interface, meaning that successful exploitation could grant attackers full control over the web application's administrative functions and potentially the underlying server infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which describes the use of web application vulnerabilities to gain initial access or escalate privileges within target environments.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script injection as it creates persistent security risks for organizations using RobotStats 1.0. Attackers could leverage this weakness to establish backdoors, modify or delete sensitive data, manipulate user permissions, or even use the compromised administrative session to pivot to other systems within the network. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network connectivity to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous for web-facing applications. Organizations relying on this software face significant risk of data breaches, service disruption, and potential compliance violations if these vulnerabilities remain unaddressed. The lack of proper input validation and output encoding in the administrative components demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture that requires immediate remediation through comprehensive code review and security testing procedures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9349 should prioritize immediate patching or upgrading of the RobotStats 1.0 application to a version that properly sanitizes all user inputs before rendering them in web responses. Implementing proper input validation and output encoding techniques including the use of context-specific escaping mechanisms for html, javascript, and url contexts would prevent the execution of malicious scripts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting these specific parameters. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack. The remediation process must include thorough code review of all administrative interfaces to ensure that no other input parameters suffer from similar sanitization issues, as this vulnerability demonstrates a systemic problem in the application's security design that requires comprehensive architectural review and implementation of defense-in-depth strategies.