CVE-2018-11734 in e107
Summary
by MITRE
In e107 v2.1.7, output without filtering results in XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11734 affects the e107 content management system version 2.1.7, specifically targeting cross-site scripting flaws in the application's output handling mechanisms. This issue represents a critical security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the CMS's rendering engine, creating an exploitable condition where user-supplied data is directly embedded into web responses without proper filtering or encoding.
The technical flaw manifests when the e107 system processes user-generated content or parameters that are subsequently displayed in web interfaces without adequate sanitization. This creates an environment where malicious actors can craft payloads containing script tags or other malicious code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's output handling functions, where data flows from input sources through processing stages to final display, bypassing security controls that should normally prevent such dangerous content from being rendered. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which describes "Cross-site Scripting" and specifically addresses the improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The flaw represents a failure in the application's defense-in-depth strategy, where multiple layers of security should normally prevent such injection attacks from succeeding.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-11734 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform sophisticated attacks against authenticated users within the CMS environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal administrator sessions, modify content, access restricted areas, or even escalate privileges within the system. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected e107 version, including both registered users and administrators, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the CMS is used for managing sensitive information or user data. When combined with other attack vectors, this XSS vulnerability could serve as a foothold for more comprehensive compromises. The attack surface is broad as it affects multiple areas of the application where user input is processed and displayed, including comments, forum posts, user profiles, and other interactive components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11734 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding throughout the application's codebase. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of e107 that addresses this vulnerability, as the vendor has released updates containing the necessary security fixes. Additionally, administrators should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution capabilities in the browser context, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. The implementation of proper HTML escaping and encoding functions for all user-supplied data before rendering should be enforced across all application components. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious script patterns in user-generated content, and regular security audits should verify that all output handling functions properly sanitize data. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following ATT&CK framework principles for defensive measures, particularly focusing on defense evasion techniques and command and control patterns that attackers might use through XSS exploitation. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that all input/output handling follows established security best practices.