CVE-2017-15872 in phpwcms
Summary
by MITRE
phpwcms 1.8.9 has XSS in include/inc_tmpl/admin.edituser.tmpl.php and include/inc_tmpl/admin.newuser.tmpl.php via the username (aka new_login) field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2017-15872 represents a cross-site scripting weakness in phpwcms version 1.8.9 that specifically targets the administrative user management interfaces. This vulnerability exists within the template files admin.edituser.tmpl.php and admin.newuser.tmpl.php where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. The attack vector focuses on the username field, also known as new_login, which serves as the primary entry point for malicious input that can persist through the application's rendering process.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the phpwcms application's template processing system. When administrators or users interact with the user management forms, the system fails to properly escape or sanitize the username parameter before incorporating it into the HTML output. This creates a condition where malicious actors can inject arbitrary javascript code or malicious payloads that execute within the context of other users' browsers who view the affected pages. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected cross-site scripting issue where the malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for phpwcms administrators and users who have access to the administrative interface. An attacker who can submit malicious input through the username field can potentially escalate privileges, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of other users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the administrative user management system and could lead to complete compromise of the application if exploited successfully. Given that the affected template files are part of the core administrative functionality, any successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to sensitive user data, modification of user accounts, or potential privilege escalation within the application's security model.
Security mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding across all user-supplied data within the affected template files. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user input through proper escaping mechanisms before rendering any content in the HTML output. This includes implementing context-aware encoding for javascript, html, and css contexts to prevent injection attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to add an additional layer of protection against malicious script execution. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and it can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection and T1548.001 for privilege escalation through compromised administrative interfaces. Regular security audits of template files and input validation mechanisms should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the application's codebase.