CVE-2018-12588 in Open Monograph Press
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in templates/frontend/pages/searchResults.tpl in Public Knowledge Project (PKP) Open Monograph Press (OMP) v1.2.0 through 3.1.1-1 before 3.1.1-2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the catalog.noTitlesSearch parameter (aka the Search field).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12588 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Public Knowledge Project Open Monograph Press platform, specifically affecting versions ranging from 1.2.0 through 3.1.1-1. This vulnerability exists in the searchResults.tpl template file and enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts through manipulation of the catalog.noTitlesSearch parameter, commonly known as the Search field. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly encode or escape user-supplied data before rendering it within the web application's response. The affected template file processes search queries without adequate protection against malicious payload injection, creating an avenue for attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. When a user visits a page containing the malicious script, the code executes in their browser context, potentially compromising their session cookies, personal information, or redirecting them to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of affected OMP installations, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers without requiring authentication or specific user interaction beyond visiting the vulnerable application. Attackers can craft malicious search queries that, when processed by the vulnerable system, will store and execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to persistent exploitation across multiple users. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which covers the use of malicious scripts to compromise web applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input sanitization can lead to widespread client-side exploitation.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate application of the patch released in version 3.1.1-2 of Open Monograph Press, which implements proper input validation and output encoding for the search parameter. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their OMP installations to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure all systems are updated to the patched version. The fix should include implementing strict input validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious characters and implementing proper HTML encoding of all user-supplied data before rendering it in the template context. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual search patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation and establish proper web application firewall rules to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust input validation mechanisms as part of overall application security posture, particularly for web applications that process user input through template rendering systems.