CVE-2018-10428 in ILIAS
Summary
by MITRE
ILIAS before 5.1.26, 5.2.x before 5.2.15, and 5.3.x before 5.3.4, due to inconsistencies in parameter handling, is vulnerable to various instances of reflected cross-site-scripting.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10428 affects the ILIAS learning management system across multiple versions including 5.1.25 and earlier, 5.2.14 and earlier, and 5.3.3 and earlier. This represents a critical security flaw that stems from inconsistent parameter handling practices within the application's input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests as reflected cross-site scripting issues that occur when user-supplied parameters are not properly sanitized before being returned to the user's browser. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution.
The technical flaw in ILIAS occurs when the application fails to adequately validate and sanitize input parameters that are subsequently reflected back to users without proper encoding or escaping mechanisms. When attackers craft malicious payloads and inject them through various input fields, parameters, or URL components, these inputs are processed and returned to the user's browser without sufficient sanitization. This allows malicious scripts to execute in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially enabling attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it creates a vector for more sophisticated attacks within the ILIAS environment. Attackers can leverage these reflected XSS vulnerabilities to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious websites, or inject malicious content that could compromise the integrity of the learning management system. The vulnerability affects multiple versions simultaneously, indicating a systemic issue in the parameter handling logic that was not properly addressed across the codebase. This widespread nature suggests that organizations using any of the affected ILIAS versions are potentially at risk, regardless of their specific deployment configuration or usage patterns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10428 should prioritize immediate patching of affected ILIAS installations to versions 5.1.26, 5.2.15, or 5.3.4 respectively. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms that properly sanitize all user-supplied parameters before they are processed or returned to users. The implementation should follow secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations and the ATT&CK framework's prevention techniques. Additionally, organizations should deploy web application firewalls and implement content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against reflected XSS attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar parameter handling inconsistencies that could lead to other vulnerabilities. The fix should also include proper logging and monitoring of suspicious input patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.