CVE-2018-15606 in SuiteCRM
Summary
by MITRE
An XSS issue was discovered in SalesAgility SuiteCRM 7.x before 7.8.21 and 7.10.x before 7.10.8, related to phishing an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-15606 represents a cross-site scripting flaw in SalesAgility SuiteCRM versions prior to 7.8.21 and 7.10.8, specifically within the error message handling mechanism that enables phishing attacks. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and output sanitization of error messages that are displayed to users, creating a vector for malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into the application's error reporting system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it leverages the legitimate error message display functionality to execute unauthorized code within the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from the application's failure to properly escape or sanitize user-supplied data that appears in error messages. When SuiteCRM encounters certain invalid inputs or processing errors, it displays error messages that contain unfiltered user data directly in the web response. Attackers can craft malicious input that, when processed by the application, results in HTML script tags or other malicious code being embedded within the error message. This occurs because the application does not employ proper output encoding mechanisms for error messages, violating fundamental security principles of input validation and output sanitization. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws due to insufficient output escaping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to perform phishing attacks by crafting malicious input that generates error messages containing phishing content or malicious scripts. When authenticated users view these error messages, the injected scripts execute in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the application. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages legitimate application functionality rather than requiring direct exploitation of application vulnerabilities, making it more difficult to detect and prevent. Attackers can exploit this by submitting malicious data that triggers error conditions, thereby creating a persistent phishing vector within the application interface.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected SuiteCRM versions to 7.8.21 or 7.10.8, which contain the necessary input sanitization and output encoding fixes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including application-level sanitization, output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security testing of error handling mechanisms. The remediation process should include reviewing all error message generation code for proper escaping of user data and implementing automated security scanning tools to identify similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, security awareness training for developers on secure coding practices and the importance of proper input validation and output encoding should be emphasized. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following ATT&CK framework principles for preventing web application vulnerabilities, particularly focusing on defensive techniques against XSS attacks through proper data sanitization and output encoding practices. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to provide additional protection against script execution in error messages and other dynamic content areas.