CVE-2016-7139 in Plone
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in an unspecified page template in Plone CMS 5.x through 5.0.6, 4.x through 4.3.11, and 3.3.x through 3.3.6 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2022
The CVE-2016-7139 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Plone Content Management System affecting multiple major versions including 5.x through 5.0.6, 4.x through 4.3.11, and 3.3.x through 3.3.6. This vulnerability resides in an unspecified page template and enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code through unspecified attack vectors. The flaw falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risk of template-based injection points where user-controllable input is not properly sanitized or escaped before being rendered in web contexts.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of page template components that process user input without adequate validation or output encoding mechanisms. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the affected Plone versions, get executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who visit the compromised pages. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple entry points within the template processing system could be leveraged, potentially including form inputs, URL parameters, or content management fields. This broad attack surface increases the likelihood of successful exploitation and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users interact with rich content management features. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and directly impacts the integrity of user sessions and the confidentiality of sensitive information processed through the CMS.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7139 extends beyond simple script execution to encompass potential session hijacking, data theft, and unauthorized content modification. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to steal user credentials, manipulate content displayed to other users, or redirect them to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects organizations using Plone CMS across multiple versions, creating a widespread risk profile that requires immediate attention from security teams. The attack surface includes not only end users but also content managers who may inadvertently introduce malicious scripts through content creation processes. Organizations utilizing Plone for enterprise content management, intranets, or public websites face significant exposure to this vulnerability, as it can be exploited to compromise entire web applications through the injection of malicious scripts that persist in the affected templates.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7139 should focus on immediate version upgrades to patched releases of Plone CMS, as vendors typically address such vulnerabilities through security patches and updated releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, particularly in template processing components. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against script execution, while regular security audits of template files and user input handling processes should be conducted. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices and proper input sanitization techniques, aligning with ATT&CK framework's T1059.002 technique for command and script injection, and emphasizes the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software components to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.