CVE-2018-18271 in CMS Made Simple
Summary
by MITRE
XSS exists in CMS Made Simple version 2.2.7 via the m1_extra parameter in an admin/moduleinterface.php "Content-->News-->Add Article" action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18271 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within CMS Made Simple version 2.2.7 that specifically targets the administrative module interface. This issue manifests when users interact with the Content-->News-->Add Article functionality, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability resides in the m1_extra parameter handling within the admin/moduleinterface.php file, which fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in the web interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a standard XSS attack pattern where an attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code through the m1_extra parameter. When administrators or users navigate to the affected news article creation interface, the unsanitized input gets rendered without proper encoding or filtering, allowing attackers to inject script tags that execute in the browser context of legitimate users. This flaw falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Valid Accounts, particularly when the attack targets administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even perform administrative actions on behalf of authenticated users. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to the CMS administration panel, modify content, add malicious modules, or exfiltrate sensitive data from the web application. The vulnerability affects the entire CMS Made Simple ecosystem and could compromise the integrity of news articles, user data, and potentially the entire website if the attacker can leverage the administrative access gained through this flaw.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18271 should include immediate patching of the CMS Made Simple application to version 2.2.8 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their web applications, particularly for parameters that are rendered directly in HTML contexts. Regular security audits and penetration testing of web applications should include thorough examination of parameter handling in administrative interfaces. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and using web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against similar XSS vulnerabilities in the future. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications and the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software versions to protect against known security flaws.