CVE-2017-17929 in Professional Service Script
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Scripts Mall Professional Service Script has XSS via the admin/bannerview.php view parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17929 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the PHP Scripts Mall Professional Service Script application, specifically affecting the admin/bannerview.php component. This security weakness arises from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle user-supplied data within the view parameter. The vulnerability exists in the administrative interface of the script, making it particularly concerning as it could potentially allow attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of an authenticated administrator's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the script's failure to sanitize or escape user input before rendering it within the web page output. When an administrator accesses the bannerview.php page with a malicious payload in the view parameter, the application processes this input without proper validation, allowing malicious JavaScript code to be executed in the browser of any user who views the affected page. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities in software applications. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient output escaping where the application fails to properly encode or filter potentially dangerous characters and script sequences that could be interpreted by web browsers as executable code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to administrative functions. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially modify banner content, inject malicious advertisements, manipulate administrative settings, or even redirect users to phishing sites. The attack surface is particularly dangerous because it targets the administrative interface, which typically possesses elevated privileges and access to sensitive system functions. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables attackers to execute malicious JavaScript code within the browser context of authenticated users. The exploitation of this flaw could lead to complete system compromise if the administrator's session is hijacked or if the attacker can leverage the administrative access to perform further attacks within the network.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-17929 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output sanitization measures throughout the application. The primary fix involves ensuring that all user-supplied input to the view parameter in bannerview.php is properly escaped or filtered before being rendered in the web page output. This can be achieved through the implementation of context-appropriate encoding mechanisms such as HTML entity encoding for output contexts, and proper input validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious payloads. Organizations should also implement proper security headers including Content Security Policy to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application, as this type of flaw often indicates broader input validation issues that may affect other components. Additionally, keeping the script updated to the latest version and applying vendor-provided security patches should be prioritized as the most effective long-term solution to address this vulnerability.