CVE-2017-14765 in GeniXCMS
Summary
by MITRE
In GeniXCMS 1.1.4, gxadmin/index.php has XSS via the Menu ID field in a page=menus request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14765 affects GeniXCMS version 1.1.4 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the administrative interface. This issue specifically manifests in the gxadmin/index.php script where the Menu ID field fails to properly sanitize user input when processing page=menus requests. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of authenticated admin sessions, potentially enabling full administrative compromise of the content management system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web page content without proper validation or encoding. The vulnerability occurs because the application does not adequately filter or escape user-supplied input before rendering it within the web interface. When an administrator navigates to the menu management section and encounters a maliciously crafted Menu ID value, the injected script executes in their browser session with full administrative privileges.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risk to GeniXCMS deployments as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access without requiring authentication credentials. An attacker could exploit this by crafting malicious Menu ID values that contain script payloads, which would then execute whenever administrators view the menu management interface. This could lead to complete system compromise including data exfiltration, user account manipulation, content modification, and potential backdoor installation. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through simple web browser interactions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is frequently used.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the GeniXCMS application. The specific fix involves sanitizing all user inputs, particularly those used in administrative interfaces, through proper HTML entity encoding before rendering. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns, apply the latest available security patches from GeniXCMS maintainers, and conduct regular security assessments of their web applications. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and monitoring administrative interface usage can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1071.001 for application layer protocols in defensive security planning.