CVE-2014-9526 in concrete5
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in concrete5 5.7.2.1, 5.7.2, and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) gName parameter in single_pages/dashboard/users/groups/bulkupdate.php or (2) instance_id parameter in tools/dashboard/sitemap_drag_request.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2022
The CVE-2014-9526 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting concrete5 content management systems version 5.7.2.1 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the web application's input validation mechanisms, specifically targeting two distinct endpoints that handle user group management and sitemap operations. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially compromising the entire web application and its associated data. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can facilitate session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation attacks within the CMS environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization in two separate code paths within the concrete5 framework. The first vulnerability occurs in the single_pages/dashboard/users/groups/bulkupdate.php endpoint where the gName parameter fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before rendering it back to the browser. The second vulnerability exists in the tools/dashboard/sitemap_drag_request.php endpoint where the instance_id parameter lacks adequate sanitization measures. Both parameters are directly incorporated into dynamic HTML content without proper encoding or validation, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browser context. This vulnerability maps to CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-9526 is significant for organizations utilizing concrete5 CMS platforms, particularly those with multiple user accounts and administrative privileges. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions, modify user permissions, inject malicious content into web pages, or steal session cookies to impersonate legitimate users. The vulnerability affects both regular users and administrators since the XSS occurs in dashboard components that are accessible to authenticated users. Organizations may experience data breaches, unauthorized content modification, and potential complete system compromise if attackers leverage these vulnerabilities to escalate privileges or establish persistent access. The attack vectors align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential harvesting.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of concrete5 installations to versions that address these XSS flaws, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts and conduct regular security assessments of their web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, aligning with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. Regular security updates and vulnerability management processes are essential to prevent exploitation of such flaws in content management systems.