CVE-2018-19917 in Microweber
Summary
by MITRE
Microweber 1.0.8 has reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19917 affects Microweber version 1.0.8 and represents a reflected cross-site scripting flaw that poses significant security risks to web applications. This type of vulnerability occurs when an application includes untrusted data in the immediate response to a user request without proper validation or encoding, allowing malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server rather than being stored on it, making it particularly dangerous as it can be delivered through crafted URLs or HTTP requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Microweber content management system. When user-supplied parameters are processed and returned in web responses without proper sanitization, attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit this weakness. The vulnerability typically manifests when users click on malicious links or when applications process parameters from HTTP requests that are directly echoed back to the browser. This creates an environment where attackers can execute scripts in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-19917 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attacks that compromise user sessions and data integrity. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal authentication cookies, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, or redirect victims to phishing sites designed to capture sensitive information. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the attack vector is often delivered through social engineering tactics, where users are tricked into clicking malicious links that contain the exploit payload. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with web applications and may be less security-aware.
Security practitioners should address this vulnerability through immediate patching of the Microweber application to version 1.0.9 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding measures can help mitigate the risk even if patching is delayed. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving client-side exploitation and session hijacking. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized and that output encoding is consistently applied across all application components.