CVE-2018-10296 in miniCMS
Summary
by MITRE
MiniCMS V1.10 has XSS via the mc-admin/post-edit.php title parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10296 affects MiniCMS version 1.10 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw that resides within the administrative post editing functionality of the content management system. This particular vulnerability manifests through the title parameter in the mc-admin/post-edit.php endpoint, which fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into the web page response. The flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of a victim's browser when they view the affected page, potentially compromising user sessions or redirecting them to malicious sites.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the MiniCMS codebase. When administrators or users interact with the post editing interface, the title parameter is directly embedded into HTML response content without appropriate sanitization measures. This creates an environment where attacker-controlled data can be interpreted as executable code rather than plain text, violating fundamental security principles of input validation and output encoding. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant since the malicious payload persists in the application's database and affects subsequent users who view the compromised content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to phishing sites. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to administrative accounts, modify content, or establish persistent backdoors within the CMS environment. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability exists in the administrative interface, potentially allowing full compromise of the content management system. According to ATT&CK framework category T1190, this vulnerability represents a method for initial access through web application attacks, while T1546.001 covers the potential for privilege escalation once administrative access is obtained.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective remediation involves implementing strict validation of all user-supplied input, particularly in administrative interfaces, combined with context-appropriate output encoding for all dynamic content. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts, though this serves as a supplementary defense rather than a primary fix. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation in web applications, as recommended by OWASP Top Ten Project and the Web Application Security Consortium guidelines. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the CMS, as the presence of one XSS vulnerability often indicates broader security weaknesses in the application architecture.