CVE-2017-1000239 in InvoicePlane
Summary
by MITRE
InvoicePlane version 1.4.10 is vulnerable to a Stored Cross Site Scripting resulting in allowing an authenticated user to inject malicious client side script which will be executed in the browser of users if they visit the manipulated site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2019
InvoicePlane version 1.4.10 contains a critical stored cross site scripting vulnerability that allows authenticated users to inject malicious client side scripts into the application's database. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross Site Scripting and represents a significant security risk to organizations using this invoicing platform. The flaw occurs when authenticated users can submit data that is then stored in the database without proper sanitization or validation, creating a persistent XSS vector that affects all users who view the compromised content. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between the application and its authenticated users, allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts in the browsers of other users who visit pages containing the injected content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the application's data handling processes. When authenticated users create or modify client records, invoice data, or other content within the system, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before storing it in the database. This allows malicious scripts to be embedded in fields such as client names, addresses, or description fields, which are then rendered without proper HTML escaping when other users access these records. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that once the malicious payload is injected, it remains persistent and will execute every time affected pages are loaded by other users, making it particularly effective for credential theft, session hijacking, or redirection attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the application. Attackers can craft payloads that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or inject additional malicious scripts that exploit other vulnerabilities within the browser environment. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete compromise of the application if attackers can escalate their privileges through the compromised authenticated sessions. The risk is amplified because the vulnerability requires only authentication, making it accessible to anyone with legitimate user credentials, and can potentially affect all users within the organization who have access to the vulnerable InvoicePlane installation.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including immediate patching to the latest version of InvoicePlane that resolves the XSS issue. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious script injection attempts, while web application firewalls can be configured to block known XSS attack patterns. Input validation should be strengthened across all user-facing fields to prevent script injection, and output encoding should be implemented to ensure that stored data is properly escaped when rendered in web pages. Additionally, regular security auditing and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications, while user access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only necessary users have the ability to modify data that could be exploited for XSS attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices in web applications, aligning with the ATT&CK framework's emphasis on command and control through web application exploitation techniques.