CVE-2015-9260 in BEdita
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in BEdita before 3.7.0. A cross-site scripting (XSS) attack occurs via a crafted pages/showObjects URI, as demonstrated by appending a payload to a pages/showObjects/2/0/0/leafs URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9260 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in BEdita versions prior to 3.7.0, exposing systems to malicious web attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. This vulnerability specifically manifests through the pages/showObjects URI endpoint, where an attacker can inject malicious scripts by crafting a specially formatted URI containing a payload. The attack vector demonstrates the classic XSS exploitation pattern where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web responses, creating an avenue for unauthorized code execution within victim browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the BEdita content management system's URI handling mechanism. When the application processes the pages/showObjects/2/0/0/leafs URI structure, it fails to properly escape or filter user-controllable parameters that are subsequently displayed in the web interface. This allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code through the URI parameters, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers who visit the affected pages. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a common weakness in web application security where input validation and output encoding are insufficiently implemented.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, deface websites, or redirect users to malicious domains. An attacker could craft payloads that steal cookies, capture user credentials, or modify page content to deceive users into performing unintended actions. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of BEdita's page display mechanism, potentially compromising all users who access pages through the vulnerable URI structure. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering through malicious web content, and represents a significant risk to organizations relying on BEdita for content management and web publishing operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching to BEdita version 3.7.0 or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious URI patterns, while also ensuring that all user inputs are properly sanitized before processing. The fix typically involves implementing proper HTML escaping for all dynamic content, validating URI parameters against expected formats, and employing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. Additionally, regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web application components, as this represents a common class of flaw that requires ongoing vigilance in web application security practices.