CVE-2017-6067 in Symphony
Summary
by MITRE
Symphony 2.6.9 has XSS in publish/notes/edit/##/saved/ via the bottom form field.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6067 represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Symphony 2.6.9, specifically within the publish/notes/edit/##/saved/ functionality of the application. This issue manifests when user input is improperly handled in the bottom form field, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the web application's interface. The vulnerability exists in the content management system's note editing feature where unfiltered user input is directly rendered back to users without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a typical XSS attack pattern where an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or other malicious code within the bottom form field. When this input is saved and subsequently displayed in the notes editing interface, the embedded scripts execute within the context of other users' browsers who view the affected content. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, where the application fails to properly sanitize user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamic web pages. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS variant since the malicious payload is reflected back to users through the application's own processing mechanisms rather than being stored in a database.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-6067 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, redirect victims to malicious websites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. In a content management system context, this vulnerability could allow unauthorized individuals to gain elevated privileges or access sensitive information through session hijacking techniques. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it affects the core editing functionality of the application, meaning that any user with access to the notes editing feature could potentially be targeted or could become a vector for further attacks against other users within the same system. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 which covers command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could leverage the XSS to execute malicious scripts that could further compromise the system or exfiltrate data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user input through proper encoding before rendering it in the browser, particularly for the bottom form field in question. Implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting script execution and limiting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Additionally, the application should employ proper escaping techniques for HTML content and implement proper session management controls to prevent session hijacking attacks that could result from successful XSS exploitation. Regular security audits and automated vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other parts of the application, while developers should follow secure coding practices that emphasize input validation and output encoding as fundamental security controls. The fix should include comprehensive testing of all user-facing input fields to ensure that no other similar vulnerabilities exist in the application's interface.