CVE-2018-14877 in WeaselCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in WeaselCMS v0.3.5. XSS exists via Site Language, Site Title, Site Description, and Site Keywords on the SETTINGS page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14877 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within WeaselCMS version 0.3.5 that affects the SETTINGS page functionality. This issue exposes the content management system to potential exploitation through unvalidated user input fields that handle site configuration parameters. The vulnerability specifically impacts four critical configuration fields including Site Language, Site Title, Site Description, and Site Keywords, which are all susceptible to malicious script injection attacks. The flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the CMS's administrative interface, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
This cross-site scripting vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a critical security weakness in web applications. The attack vector operates through the manipulation of input fields that are directly rendered back to users without proper HTML escaping or sanitization. When administrators or other users navigate to pages that display the compromised configuration values, their browsers execute the injected malicious scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the administrative nature of the affected page, as successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges within the CMS environment.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script execution, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise. The affected fields are commonly modified by system administrators during routine maintenance, making the attack surface relatively accessible. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to the CMS administrative interface, data exfiltration from the website, or the deployment of additional malware through the compromised user sessions. The vulnerability's persistence is particularly concerning as it remains active until the configuration values are modified or the CMS is updated, potentially allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to the compromised system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-14877 should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding implementations across all user-editable configuration fields. Organizations should implement proper HTML escaping mechanisms for all dynamic content rendered from user inputs, particularly within administrative interfaces. The recommended approach includes employing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, implementing proper input sanitization using established libraries, and conducting regular security audits of web applications. Additionally, the CMS should be updated to a patched version that addresses this specific vulnerability, as the developers have likely released a security update to resolve the XSS flaw. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual configuration modifications, and access controls should be strengthened to limit the number of users with administrative privileges. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which involves data from information repositories, and represents a typical vector for initial access through web application exploitation.