CVE-2018-16623 in Kirby
Summary
by MITRE
Kirby V2.5.12 is prone to a Persistent XSS attack via the Title of the "Site options" in the admin panel dashboard dropdown.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16623 affects Kirby CMS version 2.5.12 and represents a persistent cross-site scripting flaw that resides within the admin panel interface. This issue specifically targets the Site options section where users can modify various configuration parameters through the dashboard dropdown menu. The vulnerability arises when administrators interact with the Title field of site options, which fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within the web application's interface. This oversight creates a persistent XSS attack vector that allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into the application's administrative environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the Title field within the Site options configuration. When an administrator accesses the dashboard dropdown menu to view or modify site options, the unsanitized input is rendered directly into the HTML output without proper encoding or validation. This persistent nature means that the malicious script payload remains stored within the application's configuration and executes every time the affected page is loaded or accessed by any user with administrative privileges. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, specifically manifesting as a cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browser session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the administrative interface of the Kirby CMS. Once exploited, the malicious scripts can perform actions such as stealing administrative session cookies, modifying site configurations, injecting malicious content, or redirecting users to phishing sites. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that the attack remains effective across multiple sessions and user interactions, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on the CMS for their web presence. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the administrative environment, potentially leading to complete compromise of the web application and underlying server infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-16623 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Kirby CMS version to the latest available release that addresses this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues from occurring in other parts of their web applications. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security monitoring should include regular scanning for persistent XSS vulnerabilities in web application interfaces, particularly in administrative panels where user input is processed and rendered. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script payloads attempting to exploit such vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which covers data from information repositories, as it allows attackers to gain access to sensitive administrative data through the exploitation of persistent XSS flaws in web applications.