CVE-2019-7092 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
ColdFusion versions Update 1 and earlier, Update 7 and earlier, and Update 15 and earlier have a cross site scripting vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure .
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-7092 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw affecting Adobe ColdFusion versions through Update 1, Update 7, and Update 15. This vulnerability resides within the web application framework's handling of user input and output encoding mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within ColdFusion's web processing pipeline. When user-provided data is processed and subsequently displayed in web interfaces without proper sanitization, attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit the application's failure to properly escape special characters. This weakness enables attackers to inject script tags or other malicious code that executes in the victim's browser, potentially compromising the integrity of user sessions and enabling further attack vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross site scripting flaws in web applications, where improper handling of untrusted data creates opportunities for malicious code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-7092 extends beyond simple script injection, as successful exploitation can lead to comprehensive information disclosure and session hijacking. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can steal session cookies, access sensitive user data, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected ColdFusion applications. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects multiple update versions simultaneously, indicating a fundamental flaw in the application's input handling rather than a specific regression. This widespread impact means that organizations running any of the affected ColdFusion versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through the application of Adobe's official security patches for the affected ColdFusion versions. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application codebase, with particular attention to user-facing interfaces and data processing functions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies as additional defensive measures to reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust input validation practices as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's defense-in-depth principles. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on data sanitization practices will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future application deployments.