CVE-2018-16653 in rejucms
Summary
by MITRE
rejucms 2.1 has XSS via the ucenter/cms_user_add.php u_name parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-16653 represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in rejucms version 2.1, specifically within the ucenter/cms_user_add.php component. This issue manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input submitted through the u_name parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary javascript code into the application's response. The vulnerability resides in the user management functionality where new user accounts are created, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited during the registration or user creation process. The flaw allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the rejucms application. When the u_name parameter is submitted through the cms_user_add.php endpoint, the system does not adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or javascript code. This lack of proper sanitization follows the common pattern described in CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a result of insufficient validation of input data. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's ability to handle user-supplied data in a secure manner, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the victim's browser context. The flaw demonstrates poor application security practices where user input flows directly into the application's output without proper sanitization mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-16653 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially establish persistent access to user sessions, capture sensitive authentication tokens, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects the core user management functionality of the content management system, making it a critical security concern for any organization relying on rejucms for their web applications. When combined with other attack vectors or used in conjunction with social engineering techniques, this XSS vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise. The impact is particularly severe because it occurs during user creation, a fundamental operation that is frequently accessed and can be exploited by both authenticated and unauthenticated attackers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-16653 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective immediate fix involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper escaping techniques before processing or displaying the data. This approach aligns with the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and follows the ATT&CK framework's mitigation recommendations for web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts, while also ensuring that all user input undergoes strict validation against whitelisted character sets. The application should employ proper encoding functions such as HTML entity encoding when displaying user data, and implement proper input length restrictions to prevent buffer overflow conditions. Additionally, regular security code reviews and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across the application codebase. The remediation process should include updating to the latest version of rejucms where this vulnerability has been patched, as well as implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.