CVE-2018-16725 in baijiacms
Summary
by MITRE
An issue is discovered in baijiacms V4. XSS exists via the assets/weengine/components/zclip/ZeroClipboard.swf id parameter, aka "Non-standard use of the flash component."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16725 affects baijiacms V4, a content management system that has been widely deployed in various web applications. This security flaw represents a cross-site scripting vulnerability that specifically targets the assets/weengine/components/zclip/ZeroClipboard.swf component within the system. The vulnerability arises from improper input validation and sanitization of the id parameter used in the flash component, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary script code into web pages viewed by other users. This particular attack vector leverages the flash component in a non-standard manner, which typically would not be expected to pose such risks in normal operational contexts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the insecure handling of user-supplied input through the id parameter in the ZeroClipboard.swf flash file. When the system processes this parameter without adequate sanitization or encoding, it allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the flash component receives untrusted input through the id parameter, which is then rendered within the web page without proper context-based encoding or validation. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be exploited across different user sessions and browser contexts. The issue is classified as a client-side vulnerability that requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the same application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration from users' browsers. An attacker could potentially leverage this vulnerability to execute commands on behalf of authenticated users, leading to complete compromise of user accounts and potential escalation to administrative privileges. The non-standard use of the flash component exacerbates the risk because it operates outside of typical security monitoring and protection mechanisms that are usually configured to detect standard XSS patterns. This makes the vulnerability particularly difficult to detect and mitigate through conventional security controls, as the attack vector does not follow expected patterns for cross-site scripting detection.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for code injection under the T1059 category, specifically targeting web application interfaces. The vulnerability also aligns with the broader category of T1566 related to malicious code injection techniques that can be used to establish persistent access to target systems. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization for all user-supplied inputs. The recommended approach involves updating the vulnerable flash component to a secure version or removing it entirely if it is not essential for core functionality. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security scanning of web assets can help detect similar vulnerabilities in other components of the system. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for unusual patterns in flash component usage to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities in the future.