CVE-2018-17574 in YApi
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in YMFE YApi 1.3.23. There is stored XSS in the name field of a project.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2018-17574 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the YMFE YApi 1.3.23 web application, specifically affecting the project name field. This issue allows authenticated attackers with project creation or modification privileges to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's database and execute whenever the affected project name is rendered in the user interface. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the YApi platform's project management functionality.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs when users create or modify project names without proper sanitization of input data. When the application stores these project names in its database and subsequently renders them in web interfaces such as project lists, dashboards, or detail views, the malicious script code becomes executable within the context of other users' browsers. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains persistent and affects all users who encounter the compromised project name, making it particularly dangerous for collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared project data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations using YApi for API management and development collaboration. An attacker could exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of other users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or exfiltrate sensitive data from the application. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where YApi serves as a central API management platform, as compromised project names could be encountered by numerous team members, potentially leading to widespread session hijacking or data compromise. The stored nature also means that the attack can persist even after the initial injection point, making detection and remediation more challenging.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. It also maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of credentials from compromised systems. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input sanitization of all user-provided data, output encoding for HTML contexts, and regular security audits of web applications. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to a patched version of YApi, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and conducting security training for developers on secure coding practices. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and regular penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in their web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of addressing input validation flaws in collaborative web applications where user-generated content is displayed to other users.