CVE-2018-16405 in EDMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Mayan EDMS before 3.0.2. The Appearance app sets window.location directly, leading to XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16405 affects Mayan EDMS versions prior to 3.0.2, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Appearance application component. This issue stems from the application's improper handling of user input when setting window.location directly, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the victim's browser session. The vulnerability exists in the context of document management systems where users interact with web interfaces to manage and process digital documents, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where sensitive information is routinely handled.
The technical flaw manifests when the Appearance app processes user-supplied data and directly assigns it to the window.location property without adequate sanitization or encoding. This direct assignment pattern violates fundamental security principles for web application development, as it allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of the victim's browser. The vulnerability is classified as a classic XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attack vector, specifically falling under CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable application, result in the execution of unauthorized scripts in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or data exfiltration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive documents and system functionalities. In a document management system like Mayan EDMS, where users frequently upload, process, and share confidential information, this vulnerability could allow adversaries to intercept user sessions, modify document properties, or redirect users to malicious sites. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects the Appearance app, which typically handles user interface customization parameters that might be exposed to untrusted input sources. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically web shell execution, as the malicious scripts could be used to establish persistent access or perform additional attacks within the compromised environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-16405 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Mayan EDMS installations to version 3.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to prevent direct window.location manipulation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or rendered in web contexts. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews focusing on similar patterns where dynamic content is assigned to browser properties, particularly examining any use of window.location, document.write, or similar direct DOM manipulation techniques. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify potential similar flaws in other application components, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input handling in web applications and the potential for seemingly minor implementation flaws to create significant security risks.