CVE-2016-10737 in Serendipity
Summary
by MITRE
Serendipity 2.0.4 has XSS via the serendipity_admin.php serendipity[body] parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10737 affects Serendipity version 2.0.4 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw that allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications. This issue specifically manifests through the serendipity_admin.php script where the serendipity[body] parameter fails to properly sanitize user input, creating an avenue for attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that enables attackers to manipulate web content and potentially escalate privileges or steal sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code and submits it through the serendipity[body] parameter in the administrative interface. When the application processes this input without adequate sanitization or encoding, the malicious scripts become embedded within the web page output and execute in the browsers of unsuspecting users who view the affected content. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in administrative contexts where users may have elevated privileges, as successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the web application and potentially the underlying system. The attack vector is classified as server-side XSS since the malicious payload is processed by the server and stored within the application's data structures before being served to other users.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10737 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. In the context of a content management system like Serendipity, this vulnerability could allow attackers to gain administrative access, modify content, or even deploy backdoors within the web application. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could craft malicious content that appears legitimate to administrators, or T1071.004 - Application Layer Protocol: DNS, if the malicious scripts attempt to communicate with external command and control servers. The security implications are particularly severe given that this affects an administrative interface where users would typically have elevated privileges and access to sensitive system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10737 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Serendipity installation to version 2.0.5 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the input sanitization issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Regular security assessments and web application firewalls should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and the ISO/IEC 27001 security framework, particularly in areas related to input validation and output encoding to prevent unauthorized script execution within web applications.