CVE-2017-14231 in GeniXCMS
Summary
by MITRE
GeniXCMS before 1.1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (account blockage) by leveraging the mishandling of certain username substring relationships, such as the admin<script> username versus the admin username, related to register.php, User.class.php, and Type.class.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14231 affects GeniXCMS versions prior to 1.1.0 and represents a significant security flaw in the user account management system. This issue stems from improper handling of username substring relationships during the registration process, creating a condition where malicious actors can exploit the system's username validation mechanisms to cause unintended account lockouts. The vulnerability specifically manifests when certain username patterns containing HTML script tags are processed, particularly in the context of register.php, User.class.php, and Type.class.php files that handle user authentication and account management functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the system's failure to properly sanitize or validate username inputs that contain HTML script tags or similar potentially malicious content. When a user attempts to register with a username such as admin<script> compared to a legitimate admin username, the system's processing logic fails to correctly identify these as distinct entities, leading to a cascading effect where legitimate accounts become locked out. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the user registration and authentication subsystems, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring authentication privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can effectively lock out legitimate administrators and users from accessing the system. Attackers can strategically craft usernames that trigger the flawed validation logic, causing the system to incorrectly interpret these inputs and subsequently lock out accounts. This creates a persistent security issue that can be exploited repeatedly to maintain system unavailability. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which covers improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how insufficient sanitization can lead to account lockout conditions that compromise system availability.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability can be categorized under the attack pattern known as account lockout attacks, which fall within the broader ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service categories. The attack vector requires no elevated privileges and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous in environments where system administrators rely on specific account credentials for access. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and sanitization, especially when dealing with user-provided data that may contain potentially harmful content. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation measures including proper HTML entity encoding, username pattern validation, and robust account lockout mechanisms that can distinguish between legitimate and malicious inputs.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include upgrading to GeniXCMS version 1.1.0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper username validation. Additionally, implementing input sanitization measures such as HTML entity encoding for all user-provided data, establishing strict username validation rules that reject potentially malicious content, and configuring robust account lockout policies that can differentiate between legitimate and malicious account access attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as rate limiting for registration attempts and monitoring for unusual account activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The fix should be complemented with comprehensive security testing including penetration testing and code reviews focused on input validation and user authentication components to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future development cycles.