CVE-2018-10321 in Frog
Summary
by MITRE
Frog CMS 0.9.5 has a stored Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability via "Admin Site title" in Settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2018-10321 represents a critical stored cross site scripting flaw discovered in Frog CMS version 0.9.5, specifically affecting the administrative settings interface. This vulnerability resides in the "Admin Site title" parameter handling within the Settings module, where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being stored in the database and subsequently rendered in the web interface. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts that persist in the system and execute whenever the affected page is accessed by other users, including administrators or regular site users who may view the site title in various contexts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the Frog CMS codebase. When administrators modify the site title through the Settings interface, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This stored XSS vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically targeting the failure to sanitize user-provided data before its inclusion in dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as attackers only need administrative access to inject malicious payloads, making it a significant concern for CMS administrators who may be targeted through social engineering or compromised accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and privilege escalation within the CMS environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially steal administrator sessions, modify critical site settings, access sensitive content management features, or even use the compromised system as a staging ground for further attacks against the underlying infrastructure. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious scripts remain persistent in the database and will execute automatically whenever the affected page is loaded, making detection and remediation more challenging. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it allows attackers to execute malicious JavaScript code within the context of the victim's browser session, potentially leading to complete compromise of the administrative interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10321 should prioritize immediate patching of the Frog CMS application to version 0.9.6 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom applications, ensuring all user-provided data is properly sanitized before storage and rendering. Security best practices include implementing Content Security Policy headers, enforcing strict input filtering for all administrative interfaces, and conducting regular security audits of web applications to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation, monitoring for suspicious administrative activities, and maintaining up-to-date security tooling to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where privileged access can lead to severe security consequences.