CVE-2018-15562 in CMS ISWEB
Summary
by MITRE
CMS ISWEB 3.5.3 has XSS via the ordineRis, sezioneRicerca, or oggettiRicerca parameter to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15562 affects CMS ISWEB version 3.5.3 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw that allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications. This issue specifically manifests through three parameters named ordineRis, sezioneRicerca, and oggettiRicerca within the index.php file of the CMS. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a critical security weakness in web applications. According to the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it exploits a weakness in a publicly accessible web interface. The affected CMS ISWEB is commonly used for content management and web publishing, making it a potentially attractive target for attackers seeking to compromise websites that rely on this platform.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when user-supplied input from the three mentioned parameters is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web pages. When an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or other malicious code within these parameters and submits them to the vulnerable index.php endpoint, the web application fails to adequately escape or filter the input. This allows the injected scripts to execute in the context of other users who view the affected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects core search functionality parameters, meaning that any user interaction with search features could potentially trigger the XSS payload.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the compromised web environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal user sessions, modify content displayed on the website, redirect users to phishing sites, or even install malware on victim machines through browser-based attacks. The fact that the vulnerability affects search parameters makes it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal user interactions with website search functions, potentially affecting a large number of users without their knowledge. This vulnerability undermines the integrity of the web application and can compromise the security of the entire website, especially if the CMS is used for handling sensitive information or user data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-15562 should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding measures. Organizations should implement proper parameter sanitization to ensure that all user inputs are validated and filtered before being processed or displayed. The recommended approach includes implementing strict input validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially dangerous characters and sequences, along with proper output encoding when rendering user-supplied data in web pages. Additionally, developers should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to add an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to a patched version of CMS ISWEB 3.5.3, as this vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases. Security teams should also implement regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications and ensure proper input handling practices are maintained across all software components.