CVE-2018-7261 in Radiant
Summary
by MITRE
There are multiple Persistent XSS vulnerabilities in Radiant CMS 1.1.4. They affect Personal Preferences (Name and Username) and Configuration (Site Title, Dev Site Domain, Page Parts, and Page Fields).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2021
The CVE-2018-7261 vulnerability represents a critical persistent cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Radiant CMS version 1.1.4, a content management system widely used for web publishing and site administration. This vulnerability resides in the user input handling mechanisms within the personal preferences and configuration sections of the CMS, creating a persistent security risk that can affect multiple user roles and administrative functions. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's database through legitimate user interface elements, making it particularly dangerous as the malicious code persists across user sessions and can be executed whenever affected pages are loaded.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output encoding within the CMS's personal preferences and configuration management interfaces. When users enter data into fields such as Name, Username, Site Title, Dev Site Domain, Page Parts, and Page Fields, the application fails to properly validate and sanitize these inputs before storing them in the database. This lack of proper input validation creates a persistent XSS vector where malicious scripts can be stored and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects the server-side processing of user-supplied data, where the application does not distinguish between legitimate content and potentially harmful script code, allowing attackers to inject javascript payloads that execute in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7261 extends beyond simple script execution, creating a comprehensive attack surface that can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and privilege escalation within the CMS environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate user sessions, steal administrative credentials, and potentially gain full control over the CMS installation. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once injected, malicious scripts will execute automatically for any user who accesses the affected pages, making it particularly dangerous for high-privilege users who may have access to sensitive configuration settings. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a critical weakness in the application's data validation and sanitization processes. The attack vector can be leveraged through the ATT&CK technique of "Web Shell" where persistent malicious code can be used to maintain access to the compromised system over time.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7261 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the CMS. Organizations should implement comprehensive sanitization of all user inputs before storage, utilize proper HTML escaping for all output rendering, and consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. The recommended approach includes upgrading to a patched version of Radiant CMS, implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, and conducting thorough security audits of all user input fields. Additionally, administrators should implement regular security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish proper access controls to limit the impact of potential compromises. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in preventing persistent XSS attacks, aligning with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity guidelines for web application security.