CVE-2017-14957 in BlogoText
Summary
by MITRE
Stored XSS vulnerability via a comment in inc/conv.php in BlogoText before 3.7.6 allows an unauthenticated attacker to inject JavaScript. If the victim is an administrator, an attacker can (for example) change global settings or create/delete posts. It is also possible to execute JavaScript against unauthenticated users of the blog.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14957 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the BlogoText blogging platform version 3.7.5 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the inc/conv.php file where user comments are processed and stored within the application's database. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through the comment submission mechanism, which then gets executed whenever any user views the affected content. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, specifically categorized as a stored XSS attack where the malicious payload is permanently stored on the server and executed against unsuspecting users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits a comment containing malicious javascript code through the blog's comment interface. The application fails to properly sanitize or escape the comment content before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it on web pages. When authenticated administrators or regular visitors view the comment, their browsers execute the injected javascript code within the context of the vulnerable application. This allows attackers to perform actions with the privileges of the affected users, potentially enabling them to modify global settings, create or delete posts, and manipulate the blog's content. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can affect both authenticated administrators and unauthenticated visitors, making it a widespread threat to the entire user base.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or content manipulation. An attacker could leverage this stored XSS to hijack administrator sessions, modify critical blog configuration settings, or even redirect users to malicious websites. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication from the attacker, making it an easy target for automated exploitation. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1531 - Account Access Removal, as attackers could potentially gain persistent access to administrative functions through session hijacking or credential theft. The vulnerability also relates to T1566 - Phishing, as attackers could use the XSS to redirect victims to malicious sites designed to harvest credentials.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14957 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The BlogoText application should implement strict sanitization of all user-supplied content, particularly comment fields, using established libraries or frameworks designed to prevent XSS attacks. The recommended approach includes implementing Content Security Policy headers, escaping all output rendered to web pages, and validating input against a strict whitelist of allowed characters and formats. Organizations should upgrade to BlogoText version 3.7.6 or later where this vulnerability has been patched. Additionally, network administrators should implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious comment submissions containing known XSS patterns. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other parts of the application. The fix typically involves implementing proper HTML entity encoding of user input before storage and rendering, which aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and the CWE guidelines for preventing cross-site scripting attacks.