CVE-2018-5375 in DiscuzX
Summary
by MITRE
Discuz! DiscuzX X3.4 has XSS via the include\spacecp\spacecp_space.php appid parameter in a delete action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2018-5375 affects Discuz! DiscuzX version 3.4 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw that occurs within the space management functionality of the platform. This issue specifically manifests when processing the delete action in the include/spacecp/spacecp_space.php file where the appid parameter is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the user interface. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the application's codebase, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic XSS attack pattern where the appid parameter in the delete action flow fails to undergo proper sanitization or encoding before being included in the HTML response. When a user navigates to the affected page with a maliciously crafted appid value containing script tags or other malicious payloads, the application processes this input without adequate protection mechanisms. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS issue since the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the application's response without being stored.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the Discuz community.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, and applying appropriate HTML encoding before rendering any user-provided data in the browser context. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish proper input validation routines that reject or sanitize potentially malicious payloads. Additionally, regular security code reviews and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes Cross-site Scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures against client-side attack vectors in web applications.