CVE-2019-1010237 in ILIAS
Summary
by MITRE
Ilias 5.3 before 5.3.12; 5.2 before 5.2.21 is affected by: Cross Site Scripting (XSS) - CWE-79 Type 2: Stored XSS (or Persistent). The impact is: Execute code in the victim's browser. The component is: Assessment / TestQuestionPool. The attack vector is: Cloze Test Text gap (attacker) / Corrections view (victim). The fixed version is: 5.3.12.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2023
This vulnerability exists in Ilias learning management system versions prior to 5.3.12 and 5.2.21, specifically affecting the Assessment/TestQuestionPool component. The flaw represents a stored cross site scripting vulnerability classified as CWE-79 Type 2, where malicious input is permanently stored on the server and subsequently served to unsuspecting users. The attack occurs through the Cloze Test Text gap functionality, which allows administrators to create fill-in-the-blank questions, and the Corrections view where students see their responses. When an attacker crafts malicious script code within the text gap parameters, this code gets stored in the database and executes whenever a victim views the corrections page, creating a persistent threat vector.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the web application's failure to properly sanitize user input before storing and rendering it. In the context of educational platforms like Ilias, this represents a significant security risk as it allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the browser context of any user who views the affected content. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once the malicious payload is injected, it remains active until manually removed from the database, potentially affecting multiple users over extended periods. The attack vector specifically targets the assessment module where instructors create test questions and students view their results, making it particularly dangerous in educational environments where trust is paramount.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to potentially enable complete browser compromise of affected users. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, inject phishing content, or perform actions on behalf of the victim within the application context. This stored XSS vulnerability creates a persistent threat that can be exploited across multiple user sessions without requiring additional user interaction after the initial injection. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the learning management system, potentially exposing sensitive educational data, user credentials, or institutional information. From an attacker perspective, this represents a low-effort, high-impact method of gaining unauthorized access to user sessions and could facilitate further attacks within the network environment.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Ilias version 5.3.12 or 5.2.21 to remediate this vulnerability, as the fix addresses the root cause by implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding for user-supplied content. Additional mitigations include implementing strict content security policies, conducting regular security audits of user-generated content, and monitoring for suspicious activity in assessment modules. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and prevent such attacks, while maintaining regular security training for administrators to recognize potential injection attempts. The remediation process should include thorough database scanning to identify any previously injected malicious content and implementing proper input validation mechanisms across all user-facing components of the system.