CVE-2018-14873 in Rincewind
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Rincewind 0.1. There is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability involving a p=account request to index.php and another file named commonPages.php.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14873 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Rincewind 0.1 web application framework. This vulnerability manifests through improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to adequately sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The flaw specifically affects two key components of the application's request handling system where the parameter p=account is processed through the index.php file and commonPages.php file, creating multiple attack vectors for malicious actors to exploit.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly escape or filter user input when processing the account parameter within the request structure. When an attacker submits malicious script code through the p=account parameter, the application does not sufficiently validate or sanitize this input before incorporating it into the HTML response. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes within the context of other users' browsers who access the affected pages. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, specifically manifesting as a reflected cross-site scripting attack where the malicious payload is reflected back to users through the vulnerable application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially gain unauthorized access to user accounts. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects core account management functionality, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise user credentials or perform unauthorized actions within the application. Users who access the affected pages may unknowingly execute malicious scripts that could redirect them to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or perform actions on their behalf without their knowledge. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059.007 for scripting and T1531 for account access manipulation, creating a pathway for persistent threats to establish footholds within the target environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures across all user-facing parameters within the affected application components. The most effective remediation involves implementing strict sanitization routines that filter out or escape potentially dangerous characters and script tags from all user-supplied input before processing or rendering. Additionally, developers should implement proper Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution contexts and employ proper HTTPOnly flags for session cookies to prevent client-side script access to sensitive authentication data. The application should also implement proper parameter validation to ensure that only expected values are accepted for the p parameter, and any unexpected input should be rejected or properly escaped. Regular security audits and automated vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues within the codebase, as this vulnerability demonstrates a pattern of insufficient input validation that may exist in other application components. The fix should align with OWASP Top 10 security practices and follow established secure coding guidelines to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future development cycles.