CVE-2018-12944 in SeedDMS
Summary
by MITRE
Persistent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the "Categories" feature in SeedDMS (formerly LetoDMS and MyDMS) before 5.1.8 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the name field.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The CVE-2018-12944 vulnerability represents a critical persistent cross-site scripting flaw within the SeedDMS document management system, specifically affecting versions prior to 5.1.8. This vulnerability resides in the Categories feature, which serves as a fundamental organizational component for structuring document collections within the system. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts against unsuspecting users who interact with the affected system, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this document management platform. SeedDMS, formerly known as LetoDMS and MyDMS, is widely used in enterprise environments for managing document workflows and access controls, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations handling sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper sanitization of user input in the name field of the Categories feature. When administrators or users create or modify categories, the system fails to adequately validate or escape special characters in the input data before storing and rendering it within the web interface. This allows attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that persists in the system and executes whenever other users view the affected category listings. The vulnerability is classified as persistent because the malicious code is stored server-side and affects all users who encounter the compromised content, unlike reflected XSS attacks that require specific user interaction with malicious links. This flaw directly maps to CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly integrated into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-12944 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the document management environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially gain access to sensitive documents, manipulate category structures to hide malicious content, or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire document management system, as it undermines the trust model that users place in the platform's security controls. Organizations using SeedDMS versions prior to 5.1.8 face significant risk of unauthorized access and data compromise, particularly in environments where the system contains confidential business information, personal data, or regulated documents that require strict access controls and audit trails.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to SeedDMS version 5.1.8 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as this release includes proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms for the Categories feature. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security assessments, input validation policies, and monitoring for suspicious activity within the document management system. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper secure coding practices and input sanitization, particularly for web applications handling user-generated content. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1566.001 for Credential Access: Phishing, as attackers can leverage the persistent nature of the vulnerability to harvest user credentials and execute malicious code within the target environment.