CVE-2015-5347 in Wicket
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the getWindowOpenJavaScript function in org.apache.wicket.extensions.ajax.markup.html.modal.ModalWindow in Apache Wicket 1.5.x before 1.5.15, 6.x before 6.22.0, and 7.x before 7.2.0 might allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a ModalWindow title.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2022
The CVE-2015-5347 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Apache Wicket web application framework that affects multiple version streams including 1.5.x prior to 1.5.15, 6.x prior to 6.22.0, and 7.x prior to 7.2.0. This vulnerability specifically targets the getWindowOpenJavaScript function located within the org.apache.wicket.extensions.ajax.markup.html.modal.ModalWindow class, which serves as a core component for creating modal dialog windows in web applications built on the Wicket framework. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization of user-provided data that flows through the modal window title parameter, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code or HTML content into the application's response.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing script tags or HTML elements and injects it into the ModalWindow title parameter. When the vulnerable application processes this input and renders the modal window, the malicious code executes within the context of the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Spearphishing Attachments, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through compromised web applications. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because modal windows are commonly used throughout web applications for user interactions, making the attack surface wide and potentially affecting numerous user sessions.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting through form manipulation, session fixation attacks, or even browser-based malware delivery. Since Apache Wicket is widely used for enterprise web applications, the potential for widespread impact increases significantly, especially in environments where users trust the application's security boundaries. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the framework assumes that user-provided data in modal window titles will be benign, failing to properly escape or sanitize special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript by web browsers. Organizations utilizing affected Wicket versions face substantial risk of successful exploitation, particularly in environments where users have privileged access or where sensitive data is processed through modal interfaces. The remediation approach requires immediate patching to the affected versions, implementing proper input sanitization, and potentially deploying web application firewalls as additional defensive measures.
This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of secure coding practices in web frameworks and highlights the critical need for input validation at all levels of application processing. The flaw represents a fundamental security oversight in the framework's handling of user-controllable data within UI components, where the expected behavior of modal windows should not compromise overall application security. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Wicket-based applications to identify other potential injection points and implement robust security controls including content security policies, proper output encoding, and regular security testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into future application versions. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing proper security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts against known vulnerabilities.