CVE-2015-4661 in Symphony
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Symphony CMS 2.6.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the sort parameter to system/authors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2024
The CVE-2015-4661 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Symphony CMS version 2.6.2, specifically affecting the system/authors endpoint. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's handling of the sort parameter, creating an exploitable condition that enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's user interface. The flaw exists at the intersection of insecure input processing and inadequate output encoding, making it particularly dangerous for content management systems that handle user-generated content and administrative interfaces.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. When attackers manipulate the sort parameter through the system/authors interface, the CMS processes this input without adequate validation or encoding, allowing malicious payloads to persist in the application's response. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can execute in the context of any user who views the affected page, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a classic case of insufficient input sanitization in web frameworks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the CMS environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, modify content, or gain unauthorized access to administrative functions. The affected system/authors endpoint suggests this vulnerability impacts user management functionality, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users or manipulate user permissions. This represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on Symphony CMS for content management, as it could lead to complete system compromise through session manipulation and privilege escalation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-4661 should prioritize immediate patching of the Symphony CMS to version 2.6.3 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures, including parameterized queries and strict output encoding for all user-supplied data. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth protection against XSS attacks, while regular security audits of web applications should include thorough input validation testing. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date web application frameworks and implementing robust security controls as recommended in the ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns, specifically targeting the execution and privilege escalation techniques that such vulnerabilities enable.