CVE-2016-6523 in DotClear
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the media manager in Dotclear before 2.10 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) q or (2) link_type parameter to admin/media.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6523 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the media manager component of Dotclear content management system versions prior to 2.10. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically affects the administrative interface where users can manage media files. The flaw exists in the handling of user-supplied input within the admin/media.php script, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves two distinct parameter injection points that allow attackers to bypass input validation mechanisms. The first injection vector occurs through the q parameter while the second occurs via the link_type parameter, both of which are processed without adequate sanitization or encoding. When these parameters are passed to the media manager interface, the system fails to properly escape or validate the input before rendering it in the web page context, enabling attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the browsers of unsuspecting administrators or users with administrative privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged to perform a variety of malicious activities within the compromised environment. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface the website content, or escalate privileges within the Dotclear administration interface. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets the administrative media manager, which typically requires elevated privileges and can be used to manipulate media files, potentially leading to more severe consequences including persistent backdoor installation or complete system compromise.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566.001 for Phishing, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access through malicious script injection. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal sophistication and can be automated, making it attractive to both automated attack tools and targeted adversaries. Organizations using Dotclear versions prior to 2.10 face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data compromise, particularly in environments where administrative access is required to manage media assets.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the Dotclear application to version 2.10 or later, which contains the necessary input validation and sanitization fixes. Additionally, implementing proper input validation at multiple layers, including client-side and server-side, can provide defense-in-depth. Network-based solutions such as web application firewalls should be configured to monitor for suspicious parameter patterns, and regular security audits should verify that all input fields are properly sanitized. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating and escaping all user-supplied input, particularly in administrative interfaces where the potential impact of exploitation is amplified by the elevated privileges typically associated with such areas.