CVE-2017-18358 in LimeSurvey
Summary
by MITRE
LimeSurvey before 2.72.4 has Stored XSS by using the Continue Later (aka Resume later) feature to enter an email address, which is mishandled in the admin panel.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-18358 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within LimeSurvey versions prior to 2.72.4. This security weakness specifically manifests through the Continue Later or Resume later feature that allows users to save their progress and return to complete surveys at a later time. The vulnerability occurs when users enter email addresses through this functionality, which are subsequently processed and displayed within the administrative panel without proper sanitization or encoding. This creates an environment where malicious actors can inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they access the admin interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output encoding practices within the LimeSurvey application. When users utilize the Continue Later feature, their email addresses are stored in the database and later retrieved for display in the administrative panel. The application fails to properly sanitize these email addresses before rendering them in HTML contexts, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code within the email field. This stored XSS vulnerability is particularly dangerous because the malicious payload persists in the database and executes automatically whenever administrators view the affected records, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise administrative sessions or exfiltrate sensitive data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, perform unauthorized administrative actions, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of survey data, as administrators may unknowingly execute malicious code when reviewing user submissions or managing survey responses. Given that LimeSurvey is widely used for sensitive data collection, including healthcare surveys, academic research, and corporate assessments, the implications of unauthorized access to administrative panels could be severe. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a common pattern where input data flows through multiple application layers without proper sanitization.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrade to LimeSurvey version 2.72.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly sanitize email addresses before rendering them in administrative contexts. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as input validation at multiple layers, output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security audits of web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1213 - Data from Information Repositories, as it enables attackers to access sensitive data through compromised administrative interfaces. Network segmentation and role-based access controls can further reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities by limiting access to administrative functions and implementing principle of least privilege. Additionally, regular security training for administrators and implementation of web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar stored XSS vulnerabilities in the future.