CVE-2018-19554 in dotCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Dotcms through 5.0.3. Attackers may perform XSS attacks via the inode, identifier, or fieldName parameter in html/js/dotcms/dijit/image/image_tool.jsp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19554 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Dotcms content management system version 5.0.3 and earlier. This security weakness exists in the image_tool.jsp component which processes user input through specific parameters including inode, identifier, and fieldName. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the application's response, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further exploitation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the image tool functionality, creating an attack surface where untrusted data flows directly into the web response without proper sanitization. This particular flaw affects the core image management capabilities of the system and demonstrates a fundamental failure in input sanitization practices within the web application's user interface components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the html/js/dotcms/dijit/image/image_tool.jsp file where the application fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied parameters before incorporating them into dynamic content generation. When an attacker submits malicious input through the inode, identifier, or fieldName parameters, the system processes these values without adequate sanitization, allowing JavaScript code to be executed within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Cross-site Scripting, specifically demonstrating the dangerous combination of unsanitized user input being reflected in web responses without proper HTML encoding. This issue represents a classic server-side XSS vulnerability where the application's failure to implement proper output encoding creates an opportunity for attackers to execute malicious scripts in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-19554 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the Dotcms environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute persistent XSS attacks that would affect all users interacting with the image tool functionality, potentially leading to complete compromise of the CMS environment. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in unauthorized access to content management capabilities, data exfiltration, and the ability to modify or delete content within the system. Additionally, the attack could be amplified through social engineering techniques where users are tricked into clicking malicious links that exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with CMS tools. The impact is further compounded by the fact that the vulnerability affects core administrative components, potentially allowing attackers to gain elevated privileges and control over the entire content management system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-19554 should prioritize immediate patching of the Dotcms application to version 5.0.4 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns targeting these specific parameters. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the CMS. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review of all user input handling mechanisms and implementation of proper parameterized queries or encoding functions to ensure that user-supplied data cannot be interpreted as executable code within the application context. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle XSS vulnerabilities and maintain up-to-date threat intelligence to monitor for similar vulnerabilities in third-party components and dependencies.