CVE-2018-8058 in CMS Made Simple
Summary
by MITRE
CMS Made Simple (CMSMS) 2.2.6 has XSS in admin/moduleinterface.php via the pagedata parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-8058 represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in CMS Made Simple version 2.2.6 within the administrative module interface. This security weakness specifically affects the pagedata parameter handling within the admin/moduleinterface.php file, creating a potential entry point for malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of an administrator's browser session. The vulnerability resides in the application's insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that can be executed when administrative users view affected pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the pagedata parameter which is processed without adequate sanitization or encoding before being rendered in the web interface. When an administrator accesses a page containing the maliciously crafted input, the browser executes the injected script code within the privileged context of the admin session. This presents a critical risk as the attacker can potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive administrative functions, steal session cookies, or perform unauthorized modifications to the CMS configuration. The vulnerability is classified as a persistent XSS attack vector since the malicious input is stored and executed when the page is loaded, rather than requiring a direct click on a malicious link.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-8058 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete administrative compromise of the CMS platform. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can manipulate content, modify user permissions, access confidential data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the web application. The risk is particularly elevated because the vulnerability targets the administrative interface, meaning that successful exploitation directly compromises the security posture of the entire content management system. Organizations using CMS Made Simple 2.2.6 are vulnerable to this attack vector without proper input validation, making it a high-priority concern for security teams managing web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8058 should prioritize immediate patching of the CMS Made Simple application to version 2.2.7 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures throughout the application to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution within the browser context. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and maintain up-to-date security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as it allows unauthorized code execution in administrative contexts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application vulnerability that can be leveraged for privilege escalation and persistent access within targeted environments, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defense-in-depth strategies.