CVE-2019-8935 in Collabtive
Summary
by MITRE
Collabtive 3.1 allows XSS via the manageuser.php?action=profile id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-8935 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within Collabtive version 3.1 that specifically affects the manageuser.php script when processing the profile action with the id parameter. This issue falls under the category of persistent XSS attacks where malicious input can be executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the application's user management interface, creating an attack vector that could be exploited by remote adversaries to inject malicious scripts into the web application's response.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload and injects it into the id parameter of the manageuser.php?action=profile endpoint. When the application processes this parameter without proper sanitization, the injected script gets stored and subsequently executed in the browser of any user who accesses the affected profile page. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can persist across multiple user sessions and can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The flaw demonstrates poor input handling practices and inadequate sanitization of user-supplied data, which are fundamental security principles that should be enforced throughout web applications.
From an operational impact perspective, this XSS vulnerability in Collabtive 3.1 poses significant risks to both administrative and user accounts within the application. Attackers could potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive project data, manipulate user permissions, or gain unauthorized access to the system through session hijacking techniques. The vulnerability affects the integrity of user sessions and can compromise the confidentiality of information stored within the collaborative platform. Organizations relying on Collabtive for project management and collaboration could face data breaches, unauthorized access to confidential project information, and potential regulatory compliance violations. The attack surface extends beyond individual user accounts to potentially affect entire project teams and organizational data repositories.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should include immediate input validation and output encoding of all user-supplied parameters within the application. The recommended approach involves implementing proper sanitization routines that escape or filter potentially malicious content before processing user inputs. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious patterns in HTTP requests, while also ensuring that all user inputs are properly validated against expected data formats. Additionally, implementing content security policies can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, with the application being updated to a patched version that addresses this specific flaw. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a critical weakness in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on script injection attacks. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of all input parameters and user interface elements to ensure no similar vulnerabilities exist within the application's codebase.