CVE-2019-18656 in Pimcore
Summary
by MITRE
Pimcore 6.2.3 has XSS in the translations grid because bundles/AdminBundle/Resources/public/js/pimcore/settings/translations.js mishandles certain HTML elements.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2019-18656 represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Pimcore version 6.2.3 within the administrative translation management interface. This issue specifically affects the translations grid functionality where user-supplied data containing HTML elements is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the web interface. The vulnerability exists in the file bundles/AdminBundle/Resources/public/js/pimcore/settings/translations.js which handles the display and management of translation strings within the content management system's administrative panel.
The technical implementation flaw stems from improper input validation and output encoding practices within the javascript component responsible for rendering translation data. When administrators or users interact with the translations grid, the system fails to adequately escape or sanitize HTML characters and script tags that may be present in translation values. This creates an opportunity for malicious actors to inject arbitrary javascript code that executes within the context of other users' browser sessions who view the affected translation entries. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input before rendering it in the web interface, making it a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive administrative credentials, or manipulate the content management system's administrative interface. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to the Pimcore administration panel, modify translation content to redirect users to malicious sites, or execute malicious scripts that compromise the entire administrative session. The attack vector requires minimal privileges since it targets the administrative user interface where legitimate users already possess elevated access rights, making the exploitation particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Pimcore for content management.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Pimcore versions that contain patches for this vulnerability, applying proper input validation and output encoding to all user-supplied content within the translation management system, and implementing content security policies to prevent script execution in administrative interfaces. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1190 as exploitation of a remote service, while the remediation strategies align with defensive techniques such as T1566 for phishing prevention and T1548 for privilege escalation prevention. Administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious script injection attempts, while conducting regular security assessments of administrative interfaces to identify similar input handling vulnerabilities that could compromise system integrity and user sessions.