CVE-2018-18739 in SEMCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An XSS issue was discovered in SEMCMS 3.4 via the admin/SEMCMS_Products.php?lgid=1 Keywords field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18739 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within SEMCMS version 3.4 that specifically affects the administrative interface. This issue manifests in the admin/SEMCMS_Products.php page where the lgid parameter is processed, particularly when handling user input in the Keywords field. The vulnerability falls under the category of persistent cross-site scripting as it allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can be executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected content. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in administrative interfaces where privileged users may interact with the compromised system.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the SEMCMS application's product management functionality. When administrators or users input data into the Keywords field, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before rendering it back to the browser. This lack of proper sanitization creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets executed whenever the affected page is loaded. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the top security risks in the OWASP Top Ten. The specific context of this vulnerability is exacerbated by the administrative nature of the affected page, which typically contains sensitive data and functionality that could be leveraged by attackers to escalate their privileges or compromise the entire system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with the ability to perform various malicious activities within the context of authenticated users. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, modify content displayed to other administrators, or even gain further access to the underlying system through additional attack vectors. The presence of this vulnerability in the administrative interface creates a significant risk for organizations using SEMCMS as it allows for potential privilege escalation and persistent access to sensitive administrative functions. This type of vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering techniques where administrators are tricked into clicking malicious links or through automated scanning tools that identify and exploit such weaknesses. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and T1566.001 - Credential Access: Phishing, as it enables the execution of malicious JavaScript and can be used as part of broader phishing campaigns targeting administrative users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18739 should include immediate patching of the SEMCMS application to the latest version that addresses this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application to prevent similar issues from occurring in other parts of the system. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user inputs before processing and ensuring that all output is properly encoded for the context in which it is rendered. Additionally, implementing content security policies can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other applications. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests targeting known XSS patterns. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing proper security controls in administrative interfaces where privileged access can lead to significant system compromise.