CVE-2018-12943 in SeedDMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in every page that includes the "action" URL parameter in SeedDMS (formerly LetoDMS and MyDMS) before 5.1.8 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the action parameter.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The CVE-2018-12943 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in SeedDMS versions prior to 5.1.8, affecting all pages that process the "action" URL parameter. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's parameter handling system, creating a persistent security weakness that can be exploited across the entire web application surface. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input from the action parameter before incorporating it into dynamic web content, allowing malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw occurring when untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The vulnerability operates through the standard XSS attack vector where an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the action parameter, which gets executed when the vulnerable page processes and displays this parameter. This flaw represents a classic reflected XSS vulnerability since the malicious payload is reflected back to users through the application's response without being stored, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that rely heavily on dynamic URL parameter processing.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes SeedDMS installations to significant security risks including session hijacking, credential theft, and data manipulation attacks. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal user sessions, redirect victims to malicious sites, or inject malware into the application environment. The widespread nature of the vulnerability across all pages utilizing the action parameter means that any user interacting with the application could potentially become compromised, making this a high-severity threat that affects the entire user base. The vulnerability also enables attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete system compromise if combined with other exploitation techniques.
The remediation approach for CVE-2018-12943 requires immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the SeedDMS application. Organizations should upgrade to version 5.1.8 or later, which includes comprehensive fixes for parameter sanitization and HTML escaping. The solution involves implementing strict parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes malicious input before processing, combined with proper HTML encoding of all dynamic content to prevent script execution. Additionally, organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to provide additional defense-in-depth measures, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate credentials and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, emphasizing the need for comprehensive application security controls.