CVE-2018-18062 in Responsive FileManager
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in dialog.php in tecrail Responsive FileManager 9.8.1. A reflected XSS vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18062 represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw within the tecrail Responsive FileManager version 9.8.1. This security weakness exists in the dialog.php component of the file management system, which is commonly used for web-based content management and file handling operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web page responses.
Technical exploitation of this reflected XSS vulnerability occurs when remote attackers craft malicious URLs containing crafted script payloads that are then reflected back to users who click on these links. The vulnerability specifically affects the dialog.php file which handles various user interactions and file operations within the responsive file manager interface. When the application processes user input through GET parameters or other HTTP request methods without adequate sanitization, malicious scripts embedded in these inputs execute within the victim's browser context, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it creates opportunities for session hijacking, credential theft, and privilege escalation attacks. Attackers can leverage this flaw to inject malicious JavaScript code that can capture user credentials, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform unauthorized file operations on behalf of authenticated users. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attackers need only send malicious links to victims rather than persisting malicious code on the server, making exploitation more straightforward and harder to detect. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely on the tecrail Responsive FileManager for content management, potentially exposing sensitive data and system resources to unauthorized access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18062 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. Developers must ensure that all user-supplied input is sanitized and validated before processing, with particular attention to parameters handled by the dialog.php component. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security updates and patch management are essential to address this vulnerability, as the affected version 9.8.1 likely contains other security weaknesses that could compound the risks associated with reflected XSS attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. The attack pattern corresponds to the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, demonstrating how attackers can leverage browser-based scripting vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. The security implications extend to broader compliance requirements under frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001, where proper input validation and output encoding are mandated to protect against common web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify similar reflected XSS vulnerabilities in other components of their web applications and implement comprehensive security controls to prevent unauthorized code execution in user browser contexts.