CVE-2018-11532 in Advanced Statistics Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the ChangUonDyU Advanced Statistics plugin 1.0.2 for MyBB. changstats.php has XSS, as demonstrated by a subject field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2018-11532 represents a cross-site scripting flaw in the ChangUonDyU Advanced Statistics plugin version 1.0.2 for MyBB forum software. This issue specifically affects the changstats.php script where user input from the subject field is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in the web page context. The vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it targets the subject field, a common input parameter that users naturally provide when creating posts or threads, making the exploitation relatively straightforward and widespread.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of affected user browsers. This opens the door to various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. In the context of a forum environment like MyBB, where users frequently interact with content and share personal information, the potential for abuse is significant. Attackers could craft malicious subject lines that, when viewed by other users, would execute scripts that steal cookies, redirect to phishing sites, or even install malware on the victim's system. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in input validation and output encoding practices that should be implemented at every layer of web application security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11532 should focus on implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective immediate fix involves updating the changstats.php script to properly sanitize all user-supplied input, particularly the subject field, before rendering it in the web page. This includes implementing proper HTML escaping techniques and validating input against a whitelist of acceptable characters. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers as a defensive measure to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts even if an XSS vulnerability is exploited. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1566.001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to deliver malicious JavaScript payloads. The fix should also involve updating to the latest version of the plugin or implementing proper input validation as a temporary workaround, since the vulnerability exists in version 1.0.2 and likely affects other versions of the plugin as well. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar issues in the future, as this represents a common pattern of insufficient sanitization in web applications.