CVE-2019-19682 in nopCommerce
Summary
by MITRE
nopCommerce through 4.20 allows XSS in the SaveStoreMappings of the components \Presentation\Nop.Web\Areas\Admin\Controllers\NewsController.cs and \Presentation\Nop.Web\Areas\Admin\Controllers\BlogController.cs via Body or Full to Admin/News/NewsItemEdit/[id] Admin/Blog/BlogPostEdit/[id]. NOTE: the vendor reportedly considers this a "feature" because the affected components are an HTML content editor.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2019-19682 affects nopCommerce versions through 4.20 and represents a cross-site scripting vulnerability within the administrative interface of the e-commerce platform. This issue manifests in the SaveStoreMappings functionality of two specific controller files located in the admin area of the application. The vulnerability exists in the NewsController.cs and BlogController.cs files within the Presentation\Nop.Web\Areas\Admin\Controllers directory structure, making it accessible through the administrative endpoints Admin/News/NewsItemEdit/[id] and Admin/Blog/BlogPostEdit/[id]. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts through the Body or Full content fields when saving store mappings, which are typically used for managing content within the platform's administrative interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the HTML content editor components that are part of the administrative interface. When administrators save content through the News and Blog editing interfaces, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied input before rendering it back to the browser. This creates an environment where malicious JavaScript code can be executed in the context of other administrators' sessions, potentially leading to complete compromise of the administrative interface. The vulnerability specifically impacts the HTML content editor functionality where users can input rich text content, and the lack of proper sanitization allows for script injection attacks. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using affected versions of nopCommerce, particularly those with multiple administrative users or those handling sensitive business data. An attacker who can inject malicious scripts through the content editing interface could potentially steal administrator session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary code within the context of the administrative interface. This would allow for unauthorized access to the entire administrative system, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or unauthorized modifications to product catalogs, user accounts, or other critical business data. The vendor's classification of this as a "feature" due to the HTML editor functionality is problematic from a security perspective, as it essentially validates that the application intentionally allows rich content input without proper security controls.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to a patched version of nopCommerce if available, implementing strict input validation at the application level, and configuring proper output encoding for all content rendered in administrative interfaces. Additional protective measures include implementing content security policies to prevent script execution, using web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting regular security assessments of administrative interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it represents an attack vector through the web interface that could be exploited by external attackers to gain administrative access. Administrators should also consider implementing privileged access management controls and monitoring for suspicious activities within the administrative interface to detect potential exploitation attempts.