CVE-2017-14241 in Dolibarr
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Dolibarr ERP/CRM 6.0.0 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Title parameter to htdocs/admin/menus/edit.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14241 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Dolibarr ERP/CRM version 6.0.0, specifically affecting the menu editing functionality. This vulnerability resides in the htdocs/admin/menus/edit.php component where the Title parameter fails to properly sanitize user input, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The flaw enables remote authenticated users to exploit this weakness without requiring additional privileges beyond their existing access level, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative accounts have elevated permissions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the Dolibarr application framework. When users submit menu titles through the administrative interface, the application fails to adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This improper handling of user-supplied data directly violates established security principles and creates a persistent vector for malicious code injection. The vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-controllable data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Dolibarr ERP/CRM systems, particularly those with multiple administrative users or environments where privileged accounts are compromised. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute malicious scripts that may steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform unauthorized actions within the application context. The authenticated nature of the vulnerability means that attackers do not need to compromise user credentials through social engineering or other means, as they can exploit the vulnerability using legitimate administrative access. This creates a scenario where even a single compromised administrative account could lead to complete system compromise, aligning with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Persistence' and 'Privilege Escalation' domains.
The impact extends beyond simple script execution, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate the application's functionality, access sensitive data, or even escalate privileges within the system. Organizations may experience unauthorized data modification, unauthorized access to confidential information, or potential data exfiltration through the injected scripts. The vulnerability's location within the administrative menu editing functionality suggests that attackers could potentially modify or corrupt menu structures, affecting system usability and potentially creating backdoors for future access. Security professionals should consider implementing comprehensive input validation controls, output encoding mechanisms, and regular security assessments to mitigate this risk. Remediation efforts should focus on upgrading to patched versions of Dolibarr, implementing proper parameter validation, and establishing robust web application firewall rules to detect and prevent such injection attempts.