CVE-2018-14777 in DataLife Engine
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in DataLife Engine (DLE) through 13.0. An attacker can use XSS (related to the /addnews.html and /index.php?do=addnews URIs) to send a malicious script to unsuspecting Admins or users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14777 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within DataLife Engine version 13.0 and earlier. This security weakness manifests through the addnews.html and index.php?do=addnews URIs, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject persistent script code into the application's user interface. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the news submission functionality, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute in the context of administrative or regular user sessions.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it within web pages. Specifically, when administrators or users access the news addition interfaces, the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters in submitted content, enabling attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code. This flaw falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security where user input is not properly validated or escaped before being incorporated into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including stored XSS, where the malicious script persists in the application's database and executes whenever the affected page is loaded.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within the DataLife Engine ecosystem. Attackers can leverage this weakness to hijack administrator sessions, execute arbitrary commands on the affected server, or steal sensitive information from authenticated users. The implications extend beyond simple script execution as the vulnerability can be used to perform session hijacking, deface web pages, redirect users to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the application. When administrators interact with the compromised application, they become unwitting participants in the attack, potentially allowing the malicious actor to gain complete control over the content management system. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on DataLife Engine for content management, as it undermines the integrity and security of their digital platforms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-14777 should focus on immediate patch application and comprehensive input validation implementation. Organizations must upgrade to DataLife Engine versions that address this vulnerability, as the vendor has released security updates to resolve the XSS flaw. In the interim, administrators should implement strict input sanitization measures, including the application of context-specific output encoding for all user-supplied content. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security measures should also include regular security audits of web application inputs, deployment of web application firewalls, and comprehensive user training to recognize and report suspicious activities. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, highlighting the attack surface where adversaries can leverage JavaScript execution to compromise systems. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security assessments to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in their web applications.