CVE-2015-7347 in JavaServer Pages Content Management System
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in ZCMS JavaServer Pages Content Management System 1.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2024
The CVE-2015-7347 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in ZCMS JavaServer Pages Content Management System version 1.1, exposing organizations to significant web application security risks. This vulnerability resides within the CMS framework's handling of user input and dynamic content generation processes, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw specifically manifests when the system fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated HTML content, thereby enabling attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and compromise user sessions or steal sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the ZCMS application's server-side processing logic. When users submit content or interact with the CMS interface, the system processes this data without adequate sanitization measures, particularly in parameters that are later rendered in web page contexts. This creates an environment where attacker-controlled payloads can be executed within the browser context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize or incorrectly sanitize user-provided data, specifically manifesting in the context of web application output generation where untrusted data flows into HTML content without proper encoding or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to compromised systems and escalate privileges within the CMS environment. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can craft malicious payloads that target authenticated users with administrative privileges, potentially gaining full control over the content management system and its underlying web application. The threat landscape for this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript execution and T1566 for credential harvesting through web application attacks. Organizations running ZCMS 1.1 are particularly vulnerable as the flaw affects core functionality that handles user input, making it difficult to isolate and patch specific components without comprehensive system updates.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7347 require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding controls throughout the application's data flow processing. Security teams should implement proper HTML escaping mechanisms for all user-supplied data before rendering it in web contexts, ensuring that special characters are properly encoded to prevent interpretation as executable code. The recommended approach includes deploying web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, implementing content security policies to restrict script execution, and establishing robust input sanitization routines that validate data against expected formats. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security scanning tools to identify similar vulnerabilities within their application codebase and ensure that all user-facing parameters undergo proper validation. Additionally, the remediation process must include updating to patched versions of ZCMS 1.1 or migrating to supported CMS versions that address this specific vulnerability through proper security hardening measures.