CVE-2018-18774 in CentOS Web Panel
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
CentOS-WebPanel.com (aka CWP) CentOS Web Panel through 0.9.8.740 allows XSS via the admin/index.php module parameter.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2024
CentOS Web Panel represents a widely used web-based control panel solution for managing CentOS servers, providing administrators with a graphical interface to handle various system functions including user management, domain configuration, and server settings. The vulnerability identified in version 0.9.8.740 and earlier affects the administrative interface where the module parameter in the admin/index.php endpoint fails to properly sanitize user input. This flaw exists within the panel's input validation mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious scripts through the module parameter that gets reflected back to users without appropriate output encoding or validation.
The technical implementation of this cross-site scripting vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization within the application's routing mechanism. When administrators navigate through the panel's administrative interface, the module parameter is directly incorporated into the page's HTML output without proper HTML entity encoding or other sanitization measures. This creates an environment where attacker-controlled input can be executed as client-side scripts in the context of other users' browser sessions. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative module loading functionality where the system accepts user-provided module names to determine which administrative components to display.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to administrative functions. An attacker could craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when visited by an administrator, would execute in the administrator's browser context. This could lead to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized modification of server configurations. The vulnerability affects the entire administrative interface and potentially compromises all administrative functions within the panel. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where administrators frequently access the panel from shared or unsecured networks, as the malicious scripts could capture sensitive information or redirect administrators to malicious sites.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input parameters including the module parameter through strict validation against a whitelist of allowed modules. Additionally, implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content output ensures that any potentially malicious scripts are rendered harmless. The security posture should also include regular security updates and patches, as the vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases of CentOS Web Panel. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar input validation flaws in other applications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a typical attack vector that could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage.