CVE-2015-2796 in ProjectPier
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Project-Pier ProjectPier-Core allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search_for parameter to (1) search_by_tag.php, (2) search_contacts.php, or (3) search.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2796 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within ProjectPier ProjectPier-Core, a web-based project management application. This vulnerability resides in the search functionality of the application, specifically affecting three distinct endpoints that handle user input without proper sanitization or validation. The affected files search_by_tag.php, search_contacts.php, and search.php all process the search_for parameter in a manner that fails to adequately filter or escape user-supplied data, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the ProjectPier codebase. When users submit search queries through the affected endpoints, the application directly incorporates the search_for parameter into the HTTP response without applying appropriate security measures such as HTML entity encoding or content security policy headers. This flaw aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities arising from improper sanitization of user-controllable data. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through standard HTTP request methods, requiring no special privileges or authentication to execute.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2796 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated user sessions. This presents significant risks including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the application environment. Attackers could craft malicious search queries that, when processed by the vulnerable endpoints, would execute scripts in the browsers of other users who view the search results. The vulnerability affects all users of the ProjectPier application who have access to the search functionality, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared project data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2796 should prioritize immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding controls within the affected application components. Security measures must include proper sanitization of all user-supplied input parameters, particularly those used in search functionality, through the application of HTML entity encoding before rendering any user-controllable data in web responses. Organizations should implement content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution and consider adopting parameterized queries or prepared statements for all dynamic content generation. Additionally, regular security code reviews and automated vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues in other application components. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages, highlighting the need for comprehensive input validation across all user-facing application interfaces.