CVE-2018-18276 in ProFiles
Summary
by MITRE
XSS exists in the ProFiles 1.5 component for Joomla! via the name or path parameter when creating a new folder in the administrative panel.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18276 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the ProFiles 1.5 component for Joomla! which exposes administrators to potential security risks through improper input validation. This issue specifically manifests when creating new folders within the administrative panel, where the name or path parameters fail to adequately sanitize user-supplied data. The vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that allows malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code within the name or path parameters during folder creation operations in the Joomla! administrative interface. When the application processes this unsanitized input and renders it back to the user interface without proper encoding or validation, the embedded scripts execute in the context of the victim's browser session. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of administrators, or redirect users to malicious websites. The attack requires minimal privileges since it targets the administrative panel functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers who have gained access to a user account with sufficient permissions to create folders.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the Joomla installation, as it enables unauthorized access to administrative controls that should be protected from untrusted users. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it enables the delivery of malicious JavaScript payloads through compromised administrative interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18276 should focus on immediate patching of the ProFiles component to the latest version that addresses the input validation flaw. Organizations should implement proper input sanitization measures including HTML encoding of all user-supplied data before rendering it in the web interface, and employ strict parameter validation for all administrative operations. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed within the administrative interface. Regular security audits of Joomla! extensions and components should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, while input validation should be enforced at multiple layers including application-level filtering, database-level sanitization, and output encoding. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous folder creation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and access controls should be reviewed to ensure least privilege principles are maintained in administrative environments.