CVE-2018-5690 in DotClear
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin/users.php in Dotclear 2.12.1 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the nb parameter (aka the page limit number).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5690 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Dotclear content management system version 2.12.1. This security weakness exists in the administrative users management interface at admin/users.php, where the application fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within the web interface. The specific parameter affected is the nb parameter, which controls the page limit number displayed in the user management interface. This flaw enables authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to complete account compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses that allow attackers to inject malicious code into web applications. The vulnerability operates through a classic reflected XSS attack vector where malicious input is accepted through the nb parameter and subsequently rendered without proper sanitization or encoding. This allows an attacker to craft malicious payloads that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of the victim within the application. The authenticated nature of this vulnerability means that an attacker must already possess valid administrative credentials, but the impact remains severe due to the privileged access level and the potential for lateral movement within the application.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5690 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the Dotclear environment. An attacker with administrative access could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges further, modify user permissions, or access sensitive data that would otherwise be protected by the application's security controls. The vulnerability affects the entire user management subsystem and could potentially allow attackers to create new administrative accounts, modify existing user profiles, or manipulate access controls. This represents a significant risk to the integrity and confidentiality of the system, particularly when considering that the affected parameter controls pagination behavior in the user interface.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the Dotclear application to version 2.12.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for this XSS vulnerability. Organizations should also implement input validation and output encoding measures to prevent similar issues in other parts of their applications. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that administrative accounts have only the necessary permissions required for their specific roles. Additionally, web application firewalls and security monitoring systems should be configured to detect and block suspicious input patterns that could indicate XSS attempts. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar issues in other components of their web applications, following the ATT&CK framework's approach to identifying and mitigating application-level threats. Regular security awareness training for administrators can help prevent credential compromise that would enable exploitation of this vulnerability.