CVE-2017-6544 in wuhu
Summary
by MITRE
Gargaj/wuhu through 2017-03-08 is vulnerable to a reflected XSS in wuhu-master/www_admin/users.php (id parameter).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6544 affects the Gargaj/wuhu web application version through 2017-03-08, specifically targeting the administrative user management component. This issue represents a classic reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that occurs when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being returned to the browser. The vulnerability is located within the users.php file of the administrative interface, where the id parameter serves as the attack vector for malicious input injection. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that an attacker can craft a malicious URL containing malicious script code that gets executed in the victim's browser when the URL is visited, making this a particularly dangerous flaw for administrative interfaces.
The technical flaw stems from improper input validation and output encoding practices within the web application's PHP code. When the application processes the id parameter from the HTTP request and directly incorporates it into the HTML response without adequate sanitization or encoding, it creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and more precisely aligns with CWE-74 which deals with injection flaws. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the administrative interface, meaning that successful exploitation could potentially grant attackers access to privileged administrative functions and sensitive user data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it could enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities. An attacker could leverage this reflected XSS to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify page content, or even perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. Given that this vulnerability exists in the administrative user management component, successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts, modification of user permissions, or complete compromise of the administrative interface. The attack requires minimal sophistication and can be executed through social engineering techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently click on links from untrusted sources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding practices throughout the application. The most effective immediate fix involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, and implementing proper HTML encoding for output. The application should employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Additionally, implementing parameterized queries and input validation frameworks can prevent similar issues from occurring in other parts of the application. Organizations should also conduct regular security audits and implement automated vulnerability scanning to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers scripting languages, particularly in web application contexts where reflected XSS can be leveraged for further compromise of systems and data.