CVE-2017-7255 in CMS Made Simple
Summary
by MITRE
XSS exists in the CMS Made Simple (CMSMS) 2.1.6 "Content-->News-->Add Article" feature via the m1_title parameter. Someone must login to conduct the attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2017-7255 represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in CMS Made Simple version 2.1.6 within the News module's article creation functionality. This security weakness specifically affects the m1_title parameter when users navigate to the Content-->News-->Add Article section of the administrative interface. The vulnerability requires legitimate authentication to execute, making it an authenticated XSS attack vector that targets administrators or users with sufficient privileges within the CMS environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the CMSMS news article creation process. When administrators enter content into the m1_title field, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable JavaScript code. This improper handling of user-supplied input creates an opening for malicious actors who have gained access to valid administrative credentials to inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged to perform various malicious activities within the compromised environment. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify content displayed to other administrators, or even escalate privileges within the CMS. The authenticated nature of the attack means that only individuals with existing administrative access can exploit this vulnerability, but this access could be gained through credential theft, social engineering, or other initial compromise methods. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links.
Organizations utilizing CMS Made Simple version 2.1.6 should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to a patched version that properly validates and sanitizes input parameters. The mitigation strategy should include implementing proper input validation routines that escape or filter potentially dangerous characters before processing user input. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing security headers such as Content Security Policy to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts. Regular security audits of web applications should include testing for XSS vulnerabilities in all user-input fields, particularly those within administrative interfaces where elevated privileges exist. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input sanitization in CMS platforms and underscores the critical need for regular security updates to address known vulnerabilities in content management systems.