CVE-2017-6479 in fenix-open-source
Summary
by MITRE
FenixHosting/fenix-open-source before 2017-03-04 is vulnerable to a reflected XSS in forums/search.php (search-by-topic parameter).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6479 affects FenixHosting's open source forum software version prior to March 4, 2017, specifically targeting the forums/search.php script where a reflected cross-site scripting flaw exists in the search-by-topic parameter. This represents a critical security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to unauthorized access to user sessions or data theft. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server back to the user's browser, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no persistent storage on the server side. The affected parameter in the search-by-topic functionality fails to properly sanitize user input, creating an opening for attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by victims, execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the victim's browser context.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where software does not properly encode or validate user-provided data before including it in dynamically generated content. The specific implementation flaw occurs when the application processes the search-by-topic parameter without adequate input validation or output encoding, allowing malicious payloads to be executed within the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can be leveraged to hijack user sessions, steal authentication cookies, or redirect users to malicious websites. Attackers can craft specially designed URLs containing malicious JavaScript code that, when executed, can perform actions such as stealing session tokens, modifying page content, or redirecting users to phishing sites that appear legitimate to the victim.
The operational impact of this reflected XSS vulnerability is significant for any organization relying on the affected forum software, as it creates an immediate risk to user data and system integrity. Users who visit maliciously crafted links containing the reflected payload may unknowingly execute code that can compromise their accounts and potentially lead to broader system infiltration. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the forum's search feature, which is frequently used by legitimate users, making the attack surface particularly broad. Security professionals should note that reflected XSS attacks are often delivered through social engineering tactics such as phishing emails or malicious links shared in online communities, making them particularly difficult to detect and prevent without proper input sanitization measures. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks that often exploit web application vulnerabilities to deliver malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the affected software. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input, particularly parameters used in dynamic content generation, undergo thorough sanitization before being processed or displayed. The solution involves implementing strict input validation that rejects or removes potentially dangerous characters and sequences, combined with output encoding that prevents the execution of JavaScript code in the browser context. Security patches should be applied immediately to update the forum software to version 2017-03-04 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should implement web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other web applications, ensuring that input validation and output encoding practices are consistently applied throughout the software development lifecycle. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.