CVE-2015-0950 in X-Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin.php in X-Cart 5.1.6 through 5.1.10 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the substring parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0950 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the administrative interface of X-Cart e-commerce platform versions 5.1.6 through 5.1.10. This vulnerability exists within the admin.php script and specifically targets the substring parameter, creating a dangerous attack vector that enables remote adversaries to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated admin sessions. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before processing it within the application's administrative functions. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it directly targets the administrative interface, which typically possesses elevated privileges and access to sensitive system configurations, user data, and financial transactions.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or HTML elements and submits them through the substring parameter in the admin.php endpoint. The application processes this input without adequate sanitization, allowing the malicious code to be stored or reflected back to authenticated administrators who subsequently view the affected pages. This creates a persistent threat where administrators may unknowingly execute malicious scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized modifications to the e-commerce platform's configuration. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected XSS attack when the malicious payload is immediately executed upon page refresh, or as a stored XSS variant when the payload is permanently stored within the application's database or memory structures. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into web page content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with significant privileges within the administrative environment of the affected X-Cart installation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially escalate their privileges, modify product catalogs, alter pricing structures, access customer data, and manipulate payment processing functions. The administrative access granted through this vulnerability creates a comprehensive attack surface that could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and financial fraud. Organizations using affected X-Cart versions face substantial risk of unauthorized access to their e-commerce platforms, which could lead to regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it attractive to both skilled and less sophisticated attackers. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, which describes how adversaries use JavaScript to execute malicious code in web browsers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-0950 should prioritize immediate patching of affected X-Cart installations to version 5.1.11 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to address the input validation gaps. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures that properly escape or encode all user-supplied data before processing it within the application's administrative functions. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed within the administrative interface. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, particularly within administrative interfaces that handle sensitive data processing. Network segmentation and privileged access controls should be implemented to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access to the administrative interface, they cannot easily escalate privileges or access other system components. Organizations should also establish robust monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect suspicious activities within their administrative interfaces, enabling rapid response to potential exploitation attempts and providing forensic evidence for incident investigations.