CVE-2019-7882 in Magento
Summary
by MITRE
A stored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in the WYSIWYG editor of Magento Open Source prior to 1.9.4.2, and Magento Commerce prior to 1.14.4.2, Magento 2.1 prior to 2.1.18, Magento 2.2 prior to 2.2.9, Magento 2.3 prior to 2.3.2. An authenticated user with privileges to the editor can inject malicious SWF files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2020
This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in Magento's WYSIWYG editor represents a critical security flaw that allows authenticated attackers to persist malicious content within the system. The vulnerability specifically affects multiple versions of Magento Open Source and Commerce platforms, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized code. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the editor's handling of multimedia content, particularly SWF files which are processed without proper security restrictions. This allows attackers with access to the editor to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the context of other users' browsers, making it a severe concern for e-commerce environments where user trust and data security are paramount.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the WYSIWYG editor's processing of SWF files, which are typically used for rich media content but can contain malicious ActionScript code. When an authenticated user with editor privileges uploads or embeds a malicious SWF file, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the file contents before storing it in the database. This stored content then gets rendered in other users' browsers when they access pages containing the compromised content, enabling the execution of arbitrary scripts. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious file uploads. The attack chain typically begins with gaining authentication access to an editor account, followed by uploading the malicious SWF file, and concludes with the exploitation when other users view the compromised content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating potential pathways for session hijacking, data exfiltration, and further system compromise. Attackers can leverage the stored XSS to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject additional malicious content that can persist across multiple user sessions. Given that Magento platforms are widely used for e-commerce operations, the potential for financial fraud, customer data theft, and brand reputation damage is significant. The vulnerability affects not just individual user accounts but can potentially compromise entire customer bases, making it particularly dangerous for businesses handling sensitive transactional data. Organizations using affected Magento versions face increased risk of successful social engineering attacks, credential theft, and unauthorized access to backend systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of all affected Magento versions to their respective secure releases, with particular attention to the version-specific fixes for Magento 1.9.4.2, 1.14.4.2, 2.1.18, 2.2.9, and 2.3.2. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies that prevent the upload of SWF files or other potentially malicious content types, combined with comprehensive content security policies that restrict script execution within the editor environment. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious file upload patterns, while regular security audits should verify that no malicious content has been previously stored in the system. Additionally, privileged user access controls should be strengthened through multi-factor authentication and regular privilege reviews to minimize the attack surface, with security monitoring systems implemented to detect unusual file upload activities or attempts to bypass content validation mechanisms.