CVE-2015-1864 in Kallithea
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the administration pages in Kallithea before 0.2.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) first name or (2) last name user details, or the (3) repository, (4) repository group, or (5) user group description.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2015-1864 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness discovered in the Kallithea source code management platform prior to version 0.2.1. This vulnerability resides within the administrative interfaces of the application, specifically targeting user management and repository configuration sections. The flaw enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated admin sessions, potentially compromising the entire system. The vulnerability affects multiple input fields including user profile information and various descriptive fields within the platform's administrative framework, creating multiple attack vectors for exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the Kallithea administrative pages. When administrators or users interact with the platform's interface, the application fails to properly escape or encode user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. This lack of proper sanitization creates opportunities for attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the browser context of other users. The vulnerability specifically impacts the first name and last name fields within user profiles, as well as repository descriptions, repository group descriptions, and user group descriptions. These fields are commonly used for displaying user information and organizational data, making them prime targets for exploitation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which represents one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1864 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify administrative configurations. The attack surface is particularly concerning because the affected fields are frequently accessed by administrators, increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation. When combined with other attack vectors, these XSS vulnerabilities could enable attackers to establish persistent backdoors within the system, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability also impacts the platform's integrity and trustworthiness, as legitimate users may be exposed to malicious content without their knowledge.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1864 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the Kallithea application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 0.2.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks. The application should sanitize all user inputs before processing and rendering them in web pages, utilizing proper HTML encoding techniques. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and monitoring to detect unusual activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment", highlighting the potential for both automated exploitation and social engineering attacks leveraging the XSS flaws.