CVE-2017-14752 in Mahara
Summary
by MITRE
Mahara 15.04 before 15.04.15, 16.04 before 16.04.9, 16.10 before 16.10.6, and 17.04 before 17.04.4 are vulnerable to a user submitting a potential dangerous payload, e.g., XSS code, to be saved as their first name, last name, or display name in the profile fields that can cause issues such as escalation of privileges or unknown execution of malicious code when replying to messages in Mahara.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14752 affects the Mahara learning management system across multiple versions, creating a critical security risk through improper input validation in user profile fields. This flaw resides in the system's handling of user-submitted data within first name, last name, and display name fields, where malicious payloads can be injected without adequate sanitization. The vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting (XSS) weakness that can be exploited by attackers to manipulate user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of user input when processing profile information. When users submit malicious code within their profile fields, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as executable code by web browsers. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the compromised profile information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the user profile level, where legitimate users interact with the system regularly, making it an ideal vector for persistent attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS exploitation to potentially enable privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution within the Mahara platform. When users reply to messages containing malicious code, the payload can be executed in the context of their browser session, potentially allowing attackers to hijack user sessions, access restricted areas of the application, or perform actions with elevated privileges. This risk is amplified in educational environments where Mahara systems may contain sensitive student and institutional data, making the platform an attractive target for cyber threats.
Security professionals should note this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter execution. The recommended mitigation strategies include implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding for all user-submitted data, applying the latest security patches from Mahara releases, and implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability, while conducting regular security assessments to identify similar input validation weaknesses in their systems.