CVE-2019-15489 in FREE E-Commerce Software
Summary
by MITRE
laracom (aka Laravel FREE E-Commerce Software) 1.4.11 has search?q= XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-15489 affects laracom, also known as Laravel FREE E-Commerce Software version 1.4.11, and represents a cross-site scripting flaw in the search functionality of the application. This particular vulnerability manifests when user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed and displayed within the web interface. The issue occurs specifically in the search parameter handling where the q= parameter is susceptible to malicious script injection, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of other users' browsers who access the vulnerable application.
This cross-site scripting vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The attack vector leverages the fact that the application fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages. When an attacker crafts a malicious payload and submits it through the search query parameter, the application processes this input without adequate sanitization measures, thereby enabling the execution of malicious scripts in the victim's browser session. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS issue since the malicious script is reflected back to the user through the application's response without being stored on the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking. An attacker could potentially exploit this flaw to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, access sensitive customer data, manipulate product listings, or even gain unauthorized administrative access if the application's privilege model allows such escalation. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the e-commerce platform, potentially compromising customer information, transaction details, and business-critical data. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that exploitation requires social engineering to entice users to click on malicious links, but once triggered, the attack can have significant consequences for both the business and its customers.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves proper input validation and output encoding of all user-supplied data, particularly in search parameters and other dynamic content areas. The application should implement strict sanitization routines that remove or escape potentially dangerous characters and script tags from user input before processing. Additionally, the implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional defense-in-depth mechanism to prevent unauthorized script execution even if other mitigations fail. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing to identify similar input validation weaknesses in web applications. Organizations using laracom or similar e-commerce platforms should ensure they are running patched versions of the software and maintain regular update schedules to address known vulnerabilities. This case demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and input validation in preventing XSS attacks, which remain one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues according to the OWASP Top Ten project.