CVE-2018-14527 in Xiao5uCompany
Summary
by MITRE
Feedback.asp in Xiao5uCompany 1.7 has XSS because the XSS protection mechanism in Safe.asp is insufficient (for example, it considers SCRIPT and IMG elements, but does not consider VIDEO elements).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14527 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the Xiao5uCompany 1.7 web application, specifically affecting the Feedback.asp component. This security weakness stems from an inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanism that fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The vulnerability exists due to the insufficient XSS protection measures implemented in the Safe.asp file, which serves as the primary security layer for the application's input sanitization process.
The technical flaw manifests when the application processes user input through the feedback form without adequately filtering potentially malicious content. The XSS protection mechanism in Safe.asp demonstrates a limited scope of protection by only addressing commonly known malicious elements such as SCRIPT and IMG tags, while completely overlooking other potentially dangerous HTML elements including VIDEO tags. This oversight creates a significant attack surface where malicious actors can inject malicious code through video elements that are not properly sanitized or encoded, allowing them to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly escape or encode user-controllable data before it is rendered in web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. When a victim visits a page containing malicious video elements that have been injected through the feedback form, the browser will execute the embedded JavaScript code, potentially allowing attackers to access cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive data. This type of vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may have elevated privileges or access to critical systems. The attack vector leverages the principle of reflected XSS, where malicious code is reflected back to users through the application's response, making it difficult to detect and prevent without proper input validation.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as attackers can leverage the XSS flaw to execute JavaScript code within victim browsers. Organizations using this application may face significant risks including data breaches, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement within their networks if attackers successfully exploit this vulnerability. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of incomplete input sanitization where security controls are designed to address only known attack patterns rather than implementing comprehensive protection measures. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a feedback mechanism that is likely to receive inputs from multiple users, amplifying the potential impact of a successful attack.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms that address all potentially dangerous HTML elements rather than relying on partial protection schemes. Organizations should deploy proper Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and implement proper HTML encoding for all user-supplied content before rendering it within web pages. Additionally, the application should be updated to include comprehensive protection for all HTML elements that could potentially be used for malicious purposes, including but not limited to VIDEO, AUDIO, EMBED, OBJECT, and other multimedia elements. The fix should also incorporate proper sanitization libraries or frameworks that can handle various attack vectors comprehensively, rather than relying on ad-hoc protection mechanisms that may miss emerging threat patterns. Regular security testing and code reviews should be implemented to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not introduced in future updates or modifications to the application.