CVE-2015-0876 in CMS Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the print_language_selectbox function in classes/adminpage.inc.php in Saurus CMS Community Edition before 4.7 2015-02-04 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2015-0876 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Saurus CMS Community Edition platform, specifically affecting versions prior to 4.7 released on February 4, 2015. This vulnerability resides in the print_language_selectbox function located within the classes/adminpage.inc.php file, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit administrative interfaces. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code through unspecified vectors, potentially compromising the entire content management system. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a weakness that occurs when an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or encoding, thereby enabling attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in administrative contexts where the print_language_selectbox function likely handles user input for language selection dropdowns, making it a common entry point for attackers seeking to escalate privileges or manipulate content management features.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the classic pattern of XSS attacks where unfiltered user input flows directly into HTML output without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. Attackers could leverage this flaw by crafting malicious payloads that would be executed within the browser context of authenticated administrators or other users who interact with the affected administrative interface. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple input points within the print_language_selectbox function may be vulnerable, potentially including form fields, URL parameters, or session variables that are processed without adequate security controls. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001, which covers command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could potentially use the XSS payload to establish persistent access or execute additional malicious commands through the compromised administrative session. The vulnerability's location within the administrative page component indicates that successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, as administrators typically possess elevated privileges and access to sensitive system functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0876 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the Saurus CMS environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could manipulate language selection interfaces to redirect users to malicious sites, steal session cookies, or inject backdoors that maintain persistent access to the compromised system. The administrative nature of the affected component means that successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized content modification, user account manipulation, or even complete system takeover depending on the administrator's permissions. Organizations using affected Saurus CMS versions would face significant security risks as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish a foothold within their content management infrastructure. The vulnerability's presence in a core administrative file also suggests that it could affect multiple system components that rely on language selection functionality, potentially creating cascading security issues throughout the platform. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations that depend on CMS platforms for their digital presence, as it directly impacts the trust and integrity of their web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-0876 should focus on immediate remediation through version updates to Saurus CMS 4.7 or later, which would contain the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, particularly for administrative interfaces where user input is processed and displayed. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed, thereby limiting the impact of successful XSS attacks. Security teams should conduct thorough code reviews of all administrative functions to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities that may exist in other parts of the application. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be performed to identify potential XSS vectors within the CMS and surrounding web applications. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and monitoring systems to detect and respond to suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and following secure coding practices that prevent the injection of untrusted data into web page contexts, aligning with security frameworks that emphasize defense-in-depth strategies and continuous vulnerability management.