CVE-2018-12266 in HongCMS
Summary
by MITRE
system\errors\404.php in HongCMS 3.0.0 has XSS via crafted input that triggers a 404 HTTP status code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12266 resides within the HongCMS content management system version 3.0.0, specifically in the error handling mechanism located at system/errors/404.php. This flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that exploits the system's response to malformed or non-existent URLs. When a user navigates to a URL that triggers a 404 error condition, the system displays an error page that fails to properly sanitize user input, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. The vulnerability occurs because the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters in the requested URL path before displaying it within the error message context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization practices within the HongCMS error handling module. When a 404 error is generated, the system typically displays information about the requested resource, including the URL path that caused the error. However, the 404.php script fails to properly escape HTML characters from the user-supplied input before rendering it in the web page context. This allows attackers to craft malicious URLs containing script tags or other HTML entities that execute when the error page is rendered. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the standard HTTP 404 error mechanism, which is typically considered a benign system operation rather than a potential attack vector.
From an operational impact perspective, this XSS vulnerability enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, defacement of the website, redirection to malicious sites, or data exfiltration from authenticated users. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through simple URL manipulation, making it highly exploitable. Security researchers have classified this issue as a medium to high severity vulnerability based on the potential for user impact and the ease of exploitation. The vulnerability affects all users of HongCMS 3.0.0 who encounter 404 errors, particularly those who might be logged into administrative sections of the site where session cookies could be stolen.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and follows patterns commonly associated with ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which involves data from information repositories. Organizations using HongCMS 3.0.0 should implement immediate mitigations including input sanitization of all user-supplied data in error handling routines, proper HTML escaping of dynamic content, and regular security audits of error pages. The recommended fix involves modifying the system/errors/404.php file to sanitize all input before rendering it in the error message, typically through the use of HTML entity encoding functions. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide defense-in-depth protection against such vulnerabilities by restricting script execution within the application context. Regular updates and patch management procedures should be established to prevent similar issues in future versions of the CMS.