CVE-2017-9786 in ProjectSend
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in ProjectSend (formerly cFTP) before commit 6c3710430be26feb5371cb0377e5355d6f9a27ca allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Description field in My account Name updated, related to home.php and actions-log.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2023
The CVE-2017-9786 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in ProjectSend, formerly known as cFTP, a web-based file sharing application. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to commit 6c3710430be26feb5371cb0377e5355d6f9a27ca and demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability specifically targets the Description field within the My account section, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages legitimate user interface elements to deliver malicious payloads. The affected files home.php and actions-log.php serve as the primary attack vectors where user input is improperly sanitized before being rendered back to users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the Description field in the My account Name updated functionality. When users update their account information, the system fails to properly sanitize the input data before storing and displaying it in the home.php and actions-log.php pages. This creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that will execute in the browsers of other users who view the affected pages. The vulnerability follows the CWE-79 pattern of Cross-site Scripting, specifically categorized as a reflected XSS variant where user-supplied data is immediately reflected back to the user without proper encoding or sanitization. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the critical importance of implementing robust sanitization mechanisms for all user-provided content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could redirect users to malicious websites, steal session cookies, or inject additional malicious scripts that persist in the application's logs. The attack surface is particularly concerning because the vulnerability affects core account management functionality that is frequently accessed by legitimate users, making it easier for attackers to find and exploit. The presence of this vulnerability in the actions-log.php file means that even audit trails could be compromised, potentially allowing attackers to hide their activities or manipulate system logs for further attacks.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-provided data, particularly in fields that are displayed in user interfaces. The recommended approach involves implementing proper HTML entity encoding when rendering user content and enforcing strict input validation rules that reject potentially dangerous characters and script tags. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Scripting, specifically targeting the execution of malicious scripts through web interfaces. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other application components. The fix implemented in commit 6c3710430be26feb5371cb0377e5355d6f9a27ca demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and the need for comprehensive testing of user-facing interfaces to prevent such vulnerabilities from reaching production environments.