CVE-2017-12811 in Star Rating Script
Summary
by MITRE
PHPJabbers Star Rating Script 4.0 has stored XSS via a rating item.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12811 affects PHPJabbers Star Rating Script version 4.0 and represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious code into the application's database through rating items. This vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before it is rendered in web pages. The flaw occurs when user-supplied rating data is stored in the database without adequate sanitization or validation, creating an environment where malicious scripts can persist and execute whenever the stored data is retrieved and displayed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly escape or filter user input during the rating submission process. When users submit star ratings or associated comments through the script's interface, the input is directly stored in the database without proper HTML entity encoding or script sanitization. This allows attackers to embed malicious javascript code within the rating content, which then executes in the browsers of other users who view the affected rating items. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists in the database and can affect multiple users over time, unlike reflected XSS attacks that require specific user interaction with malicious links.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for websites using the PHPJabbers Star Rating Script, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of users' browsers. The impact extends beyond simple script execution to potentially allow for session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and further exploitation of the victim's browser environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain persistent access to user accounts, redirect users to malicious sites, or install malware on victim systems. The vulnerability's persistence means that even if administrators patch the application, any existing malicious content remains active until manually removed from the database.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied content is properly sanitized using appropriate HTML entity encoding before being stored in the database, with the specific approach depending on the context where the data will be rendered. The principle of least privilege should be applied to database access, and regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and using web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers may use this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through seemingly legitimate rating interactions. Organizations should also consider implementing automated scanning tools to detect similar stored XSS vulnerabilities across their web applications and maintain up-to-date security patches for all third-party components.