CVE-2018-15511 in Totemomail
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the 'Notification template' feature of totemomail 6.0.0 build 570 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2023
The CVE-2018-15511 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the notification template functionality of totemomail version 6.0.0 build 570. This security weakness resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input within notification template components, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize template variables before rendering them in web pages. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious payloads within notification template fields that get subsequently executed when legitimate users view these templates, thereby compromising the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and potentially enabling further attacks. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security. The flaw operates under the principle of reflected cross-site scripting as described in the ATT&CK framework under technique T1059.002 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, where attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation attacks within the affected application environment. The vulnerability affects all users who interact with notification templates, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users may be exposed to malicious content through shared templates. Security researchers have identified that this flaw is particularly concerning because it affects the core notification infrastructure, which is likely used for critical communications within enterprise environments. The exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be accomplished through standard web-based attack vectors, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors from script kiddies to sophisticated adversaries. Organizations utilizing totemomail 6.0.0 build 570 should immediately implement mitigations including input sanitization, output encoding, and proper template validation to prevent malicious code injection. The recommended approach involves implementing strict input validation that filters or escapes special characters in template variables, combined with proper HTML encoding of all output to prevent script execution. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies to further limit the execution of unauthorized scripts within the application context. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in web applications, particularly in features that handle user-generated content or template variables. This flaw represents a classic example of how insufficient sanitization of user input can lead to severe security consequences, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing and code review processes. The vulnerability also demonstrates the critical nature of keeping software updated, as newer versions of totemomail likely contain fixes for this and similar issues. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of their notification template usage to identify potential exposure and implement layered defense mechanisms including web application firewalls and regular security scanning to detect similar vulnerabilities in other components of their infrastructure.