CVE-2016-0711 in JetSpeed
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Apache Jetspeed before 2.3.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the title parameter when adding a (1) link, (2) page, or (3) folder resource.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2018
Apache Jetspeed before version 2.3.1 contains multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that arise from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data. These vulnerabilities specifically affect the title parameter when adding link, page, or folder resources within the application's web interface. The flaw stems from the application's failure to properly encode or escape user input before rendering it in web responses, creating opportunities for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code or HTML content. This weakness enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the application. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as improper neutralization of input during web page generation, which represents one of the most common and dangerous web application security flaws. From an operational perspective, these XSS vulnerabilities could allow attackers to compromise user sessions and escalate privileges within the Jetspeed portal environment, particularly if administrators or other users interact with maliciously crafted content. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application vulnerability exploitation technique under the T1190 category for exploitation of web applications, where attackers leverage input validation flaws to inject malicious code. The impact is significant as it affects the core functionality of the portal management system, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the portal's content and user experience. The vulnerability exists due to inadequate output encoding practices and insufficient sanitization of parameters used in dynamic HTML generation. Organizations using affected versions of Apache Jetspeed should immediately apply the patch released in version 2.3.1, which implements proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The fix involves implementing strict sanitization of all user-supplied input, particularly parameters used in HTML rendering contexts, and ensuring that all dynamic content is properly escaped before being inserted into web responses. Security teams should also implement web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious input patterns and consider conducting comprehensive security assessments of the portal environment to identify potential secondary impacts from the vulnerability. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of interacting with untrusted content and implementing content security policies can provide additional defense layers against exploitation attempts.