CVE-2018-9017 in dsmall
Summary
by MITRE
dsmall v20180320 allows XSS via the member search box at the public/index.php/home/membersnsfriend/findlist.html URI.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9017 affects the dsmall v20180320 web application, specifically targeting the member search functionality within the public/index.php/home/membersnsfriend/findlist.html URI. This represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that exploits the application's failure to properly sanitize user input submitted through the search interface. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they access the search results page, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the application's search processing logic. When users submit queries through the member search box, the application fails to properly encode or escape special characters in the input before incorporating them into dynamic HTML responses. This weakness allows attackers to inject javascript code or other malicious payloads that are then executed by the victim's browser when they view the search results. The vulnerability manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting issue since the malicious content is reflected back to the user through the application's response without proper sanitization.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to the application's users and the organization maintaining the system. Attackers could exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or extract sensitive information from the application's data. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potential data breaches and service disruption. The vulnerability affects the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms by enabling attackers to manipulate the user interface and potentially gain unauthorized access to protected resources. This weakness particularly threatens user privacy and application security, as it allows for persistent malicious activities that can be difficult to trace and remediate.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting and follows patterns consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, where attackers leverage browser-based scripting capabilities to execute malicious code. Effective mitigation strategies include implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms, utilizing context-specific escaping for all dynamic content, and deploying proper content security policies to restrict script execution. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls, conducting regular security code reviews, and establishing robust input sanitization procedures. The remediation process requires thorough testing of all user input handling mechanisms and implementation of proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content generated by the application. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other application components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar cross-site scripting threats.