CVE-2018-25065 in mediawiki-extensions-I18nTags
Summary
by MITRE • 01/05/2023
A vulnerability was found in Wikimedia mediawiki-extensions-I18nTags and classified as problematic. This issue affects some unknown processing of the file I18nTags_body.php of the component Unlike Parser. The manipulation leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be initiated remotely. The name of the patch is b4bc3cbbb099eab50cf2b544cf577116f1867b94. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The identifier VDB-217445 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-25065 represents a cross site scripting vulnerability within the Wikimedia mediawiki-extensions-I18nTags extension, specifically affecting the I18nTags_body.php file in the Parser component. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and output encoding during the processing of internationalization tags within the MediaWiki platform. The flaw exists in how the extension handles user-supplied data when rendering localized content, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary javascript code into web pages served by affected MediaWiki installations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper sanitization of user input within the I18nTags_body.php processing logic. When MediaWiki encounters internationalization tags in wiki content, the extension fails to properly escape or validate the data before incorporating it into the HTML output. This processing occurs within the parser component where the extension handles translation and localization elements, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect any page utilizing internationalization features. The vulnerability manifests when user-controllable parameters are directly embedded into HTML contexts without appropriate security measures such as HTML entity encoding or context-appropriate sanitization.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to MediaWiki installations as it allows remote code execution through cross site scripting attacks. An attacker can craft malicious wiki content containing specially formatted internationalization tags that, when rendered by the vulnerable system, execute arbitrary javascript in the context of other users' browsers. This creates potential for session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and further exploitation of the compromised user sessions. The remote attack vector means that the vulnerability can be exploited without requiring local system access, making it particularly dangerous for widely accessible MediaWiki instances such as those used for wikibooks, wikinews, or collaborative documentation platforms.
The remediation strategy involves applying the specific patch identified by the commit hash b4bc3cbbb099eab50cf2b544cf577116f1867b94, which addresses the input validation and output encoding issues within the I18nTags_body.php file. Organizations should also implement comprehensive security measures including regular patch management procedures, input validation frameworks, and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense in depth. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross site scripting flaws, and represents a typical example of how internationalization components can introduce security risks when not properly secured against malicious input manipulation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application vulnerability that can be exploited for initial access and privilege escalation within affected systems.