CVE-2018-17964 in HighPortal
Summary
by MITRE
Aryanic HighPortal 12.5 has XSS via an Add Tags action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-17964 affects Aryanic HighPortal version 12.5 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw that can be exploited through the Add Tags functionality. This issue falls under the category of client-side vulnerabilities that allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability specifically manifests when users interact with the tag addition feature, where insufficient input validation and output encoding create opportunities for malicious code execution.
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that occurs when user-provided data is directly incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. The attack vector leverages the Add Tags action, suggesting that when users attempt to add tags to content or documents within the HighPortal system, the application fails to adequately validate or escape the tag content before rendering it in the user interface. This creates an environment where an attacker could craft malicious tag content containing script payloads that would execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, manipulate user interfaces, and potentially escalate privileges within the application. When users view content that contains malicious tags, their browsers execute the injected scripts, which could redirect them to malicious sites, steal cookies, or perform unauthorized actions on their behalf. The severity is particularly concerning given that HighPortal is a content management system where users frequently add tags to organize and categorize content, making the attack surface relatively broad and accessible.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input, particularly when it is rendered in web pages, through the use of context-appropriate encoding such as HTML entity encoding for web page content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. The fix should also include proper validation of tag names and content to ensure they conform to expected formats and do not contain potentially dangerous characters or script sequences. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could exploit this weakness to deliver malicious payloads through crafted tags that users might unknowingly add to content, creating a persistent threat vector within the application environment.