CVE-2015-8606 in SilverStripe
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in SilverStripe CMS & Framework before 3.1.16 and 3.2.x before 3.2.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) Locale or (2) FailedLoginCount parameter to admin/security/EditForm/field/Members/item/new/ItemEditForm.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8606 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting SilverStripe CMS and Framework versions prior to 3.1.16 and 3.2.x before 3.2.1. This vulnerability resides within the administrative security interface of the content management system, specifically in the member management functionality where users can create new member accounts through the ItemEditForm. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's response, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through two distinct parameter injection points within the administrative form handling mechanism. The first vector involves the Locale parameter which is used to determine the language settings for user interfaces, while the second involves the FailedLoginCount parameter that tracks authentication attempts for member accounts. Both parameters are processed without adequate input sanitization or output encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. This particular attack surface is particularly dangerous because it operates within the administrative interface where users possess elevated privileges, potentially enabling full system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged to perform session hijacking, steal administrative credentials, or manipulate user permissions within the SilverStripe environment. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core security framework of the application, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on SilverStripe for content management and user authentication. According to CWE standards, this represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability classified under CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation.
The attack vector for this vulnerability requires minimal privileges as it targets the administrative form handling mechanism that does not properly validate or sanitize user inputs before rendering them back to the browser. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the application's response and execute when other users view the affected pages. The vulnerability's exploitation can be automated and does not require complex attack chains, making it particularly dangerous for widespread deployment. Organizations using affected versions of SilverStripe are at risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data, user account compromise, and potential data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8606 require immediate patching of affected SilverStripe installations to versions 3.1.16 or 3.2.1 and later. Security administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as input validation on all administrative forms, output encoding of user-supplied data, and regular security audits of web applications. The implementation of content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent script execution from unauthorized sources. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this vulnerability would be classified under T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, highlighting the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and monitoring for exploitation attempts in web application environments. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability pattern.