CVE-2019-7170 in Croogo
Summary
by MITRE
A stored-self XSS exists in Croogo through v3.0.5, allowing an attacker to execute HTML or JavaScript code in a vulnerable Title field to /admin/taxonomy/vocabularies.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2019-7170 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw in the Croogo content management system up to version 3.0.5. This security weakness resides within the taxonomy vocabulary management interface, specifically in the Title field handling mechanism. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that persists in the system and executes when other users view the affected content. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious payload is saved server-side and can affect multiple users who access the vulnerable page without requiring them to click on any links or perform additional actions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping within the Croogo application's administrative interface. When administrators or users with appropriate privileges create or edit taxonomy vocabularies, the system fails to properly validate and sanitize the Title field input before storing it in the database. This omission creates an attack surface where malicious actors can embed script tags, event handlers, or other malicious code within the title field. The vulnerability specifically affects the /admin/taxonomy/vocabularies endpoint, which is part of the administrative backend used for managing content categorization structures within the CMS. The flaw aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker who gains access to an administrative account or can manipulate the vulnerable field can potentially establish persistent access to the system through the execution of malicious scripts. The vulnerability can be exploited to steal cookies, modify content, or redirect users to phishing sites that can harvest login credentials. Given that this affects the administrative interface, successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, especially if the attacker can escalate privileges or gain access to sensitive data through the compromised administrative session. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566.001 for credential access through phishing.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-7170 should prioritize immediate patching of the Croogo CMS to version 3.0.6 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, particularly for all user-supplied data that is stored and later displayed. The implementation should follow secure coding practices including the use of Content Security Policy headers, proper HTML escaping, and input sanitization libraries. Administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script patterns, regular security audits of the application code, and monitoring of administrative interface access logs. Organizations should ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the taxonomy management features and implement proper privilege separation to minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating and sanitizing all user inputs, particularly in administrative interfaces where the potential for damage is significantly higher.