CVE-2014-9432 in Serendipity
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in templates/2k11/admin/overview.inc.tpl in Serendipity before 2.0-rc2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a blog comment in the QUERY_STRING to serendipity/index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2014-9432 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the Serendipity blog publishing platform prior to version 2.0-rc2. This vulnerability exists within the administrative template file overview.inc.tpl located in the templates/2k11/admin directory, making it particularly dangerous as it targets the administrative interface of the blogging system. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers through crafted input in the QUERY_STRING parameter of the serendipity/index.php endpoint, effectively compromising the security of the entire administrative environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the Serendipity CMS administration interface. When users submit blog comments through the web interface, the application fails to properly sanitize the QUERY_STRING parameters before rendering them in the administrative overview template. This creates an injection point where malicious actors can embed JavaScript code or HTML content that gets executed when administrators view the affected pages. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative template processing mechanism, which renders user-supplied content without sufficient security controls, enabling attackers to bypass standard access controls and potentially escalate privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the administrative interface and potentially gain unauthorized access to the blogging system. Attackers could craft malicious comments containing JavaScript payloads that, when viewed by administrators, could steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute commands on the server if additional vulnerabilities exist. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it requires minimal user interaction beyond the normal blog commenting process, making it difficult to detect and prevent. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a critical weakness in web application security, and maps to attack techniques in the ATT&CK framework under T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter.
The security implications of CVE-2014-9432 are severe for organizations relying on Serendipity for content management, as administrative access provides complete control over the blogging platform including the ability to modify content, add users, and potentially compromise the underlying server infrastructure. The vulnerability affects not just individual blog instances but could be exploited at scale if multiple Serendipity installations exist within an organization's infrastructure. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching to version 2.0-rc2 or later, while implementing additional security measures such as input validation at the web application firewall level and monitoring for suspicious query string patterns in web server logs. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in administrative interfaces and serves as a reminder of the need for comprehensive security testing of template rendering mechanisms in content management systems.