CVE-2017-5962 in TYPO3
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in contexts_wurfl (for TYPO3) before 0.4.2. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient filtration of user-supplied data in the "force_ua" HTTP GET parameter passed to the "/contexts_wurfl/Library/wurfl-dbapi-1.4.4.0/check_wurfl.php" URL. An attacker could execute arbitrary HTML and script code in a browser in the context of the vulnerable website.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5962 affects the contexts_wurfl extension for TYPO3 content management systems, specifically versions prior to 0.4.2. This represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the web application's parameter handling mechanisms. The flaw manifests in the check_wurfl.php script which processes HTTP GET parameters without proper sanitization, creating an attack surface that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary code into the application's response.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the "force_ua" HTTP GET parameter which is directly incorporated into the web application's output without appropriate encoding or filtering. When a user submits a request containing malicious content in this parameter, the application fails to validate or sanitize the input before including it in the HTML response. This allows an attacker to craft requests that inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers who visit the affected page.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to user sessions, potentially compromising sensitive information and gaining unauthorized administrative access to the TYPO3 system. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected extension version, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the system.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices that violate secure coding principles and represents a failure to implement proper output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should immediately update to version 0.4.2 or later of the contexts_wurfl extension to mitigate this risk. Additionally, implementing proper parameter validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights the potential for seemingly minor flaws to create significant security risks in content management systems.