CVE-2018-14037 in Kendo UI Editor
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Progress Kendo UI Editor v2018.1.221 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript into the DOM of the WYSIWYG editor because of the editorNS.Serializer toEditableHtml function in kendo.all.min.js. If the victim accesses the editor, the payload gets executed. Furthermore, if the payload is reflected at any other resource that does rely on the sanitisation of the editor itself, the JavaScript payload will be executed in the context of the application. This allows attackers (in the worst case) to take over user sessions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2020
The CVE-2018-14037 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Progress Kendo UI Editor version 2018.1.221 that exposes web applications to remote code execution risks. This vulnerability specifically targets the editorNS.Serializer toEditableHtml function within the kendo.all.min.js library, which serves as the core component responsible for converting editor content into HTML format for display and storage. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes within the victim's browser context when they interact with the WYSIWYG editor interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the Kendo UI editor's serialization process. When the editor processes content through the toEditableHtml function, it fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied input before rendering it as HTML. This creates a persistent XSS vector where malicious payloads can be stored and subsequently executed whenever the compromised content is loaded back into the editor. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the DOM level, allowing attackers to inject scripts that can manipulate the editor's behavior and potentially compromise user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged to perform session hijacking and privilege escalation attacks. When victims access the compromised editor, the injected JavaScript payload executes in the context of the authenticated user's session, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, modify user permissions, or perform actions on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability's severity is amplified when considering that the malicious content can be reflected across multiple resources that depend on the editor's sanitization mechanisms, creating a broader attack surface. This characteristic aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the web application attack categories, specifically targeting client-side vulnerabilities that can be exploited for session management compromise.
Organizations utilizing Progress Kendo UI Editor should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the software, implementing strict content security policies, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding as outlined in CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect anomalous content being submitted to editor components, as this vulnerability can persist in applications even after initial exploitation attempts. The risk assessment for this vulnerability should include comprehensive penetration testing of all web applications utilizing the affected Kendo UI components to ensure complete remediation of the XSS vector.