CVE-2018-20242 in JSPWiki
Summary
by MITRE
A carefully crafted URL could trigger an XSS vulnerability on Apache JSPWiki, from versions up to 2.10.5, which could lead to session hijacking.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20242 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Apache JSPWiki software versions up to 2.10.5. This security weakness arises from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's processing of user-supplied URLs. The flaw allows malicious actors to craft specifically designed URLs that, when processed by the vulnerable wiki system, can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browser sessions. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize and encode URL parameters before rendering them in web pages, creating an environment where attacker-controlled content can be injected and executed without proper security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when the JSPWiki application receives a maliciously constructed URL containing script payloads that are not adequately filtered or escaped during the rendering process. This weakness falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway demonstrates how insufficient sanitization of user input can create persistent attack vectors within web applications, particularly when dealing with URL parameters that are directly embedded into HTML output. When users navigate to these crafted URLs, the malicious JavaScript code executes within their browser context, potentially compromising their session cookies and other sensitive data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass session hijacking capabilities that can severely compromise user authentication and authorization mechanisms. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could steal session tokens, impersonate legitimate users, and gain unauthorized access to wiki resources and content management functions. The affected versions of Apache JSPWiki represent a significant attack surface since the vulnerability affects the core web application functionality where users interact with wiki pages through URL parameters. This issue particularly impacts organizations relying on JSPWiki for collaborative documentation and knowledge management, as compromised user sessions can lead to unauthorized content modification, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the wiki system is integrated.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Apache JSPWiki, typically versions 2.10.6 and later which contain the necessary input validation and output encoding fixes. The recommended defensive measures include implementing proper input sanitization at multiple layers including URL parameter validation, output encoding for all dynamic content, and deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious URL patterns. Additionally, organizations should enforce Content Security Policy headers to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, implement proper session management controls, and conduct regular security assessments of web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under technique T1190 for exploitation of web applications, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive application security controls including regular patch management, input validation, and output encoding practices. Organizations should also consider implementing security monitoring solutions to detect suspicious URL patterns and anomalous user behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts.