CVE-2017-7626 in Smart Related Articles Extension
Summary
by MITRE
The "Smart related articles" extension 1.1 for Joomla! has XSS in dialog.php (n_art,type in GET Method).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2020
The CVE-2017-7626 vulnerability resides within the Smart related articles extension version 1.1 for Joomla! CMS, representing a cross-site scripting flaw that specifically affects the dialog.php component. This vulnerability manifests when user-supplied parameters are not properly sanitized before being rendered in the web application's response. The flaw occurs in the GET method parameters named n_art and type, which are directly incorporated into the page output without adequate input validation or output encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it targets a widely used content management system that powers millions of websites globally, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to exploit web applications.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from the extension's failure to properly escape or validate user input before incorporating it into dynamic HTML content. When an attacker crafts malicious payloads and passes them through the n_art and type parameters in the dialog.php script, the application processes these values without sufficient sanitization measures. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of a victim's browser when they access the affected page. The vulnerability's classification as a reflected XSS issue means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server and delivered to the victim's browser, making it particularly effective for phishing attacks, session hijacking, or redirecting users to malicious websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities against authenticated users. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, modify page content, redirect users to phishing sites, or even escalate privileges within the compromised Joomla installations may be affected. This type of vulnerability particularly threatens websites that rely heavily on user-generated content or administrative features, as the attack vector can be exploited through simple web requests without requiring complex exploitation techniques. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the application's security input validation processes, indicating potential gaps in the overall security posture of the affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7626 should focus on immediate patching of the affected extension, as the vendor has likely released a security update addressing this flaw. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation measures that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly for parameters that are directly rendered in HTML output. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious parameter values in web application logs, and regular security audits should verify that all third-party extensions are properly configured and up-to-date. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and falls under ATT&CK technique T1213 which covers data from information repositories, as attackers may use such vulnerabilities to access sensitive data or manipulate content within the CMS environment.