CVE-2020-14014 in Navigate CMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Navigate CMS 2.9 r1433. The query parameter fid on the resource navigate.php does not perform sufficient data validation and/or encoding, making it vulnerable to reflected XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-14014 affects Navigate CMS version 2.9 r1433 and represents a classic reflected cross-site scripting flaw that resides within the navigate.php resource. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization of the fid query parameter, which allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically impacts the web application's handling of user-supplied data without proper encoding or validation mechanisms, creating an exploitable entry point for attackers seeking to compromise user sessions or execute malicious payloads.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing a crafted fid parameter value that includes JavaScript code. When a victim clicks on this malicious link and the application processes the parameter without proper sanitization, the injected script executes within the victim's browser context. This reflected XSS vulnerability operates through the standard mechanism where the malicious payload is reflected back to the user's browser from the web application's response, bypassing any server-side validation or encoding that should normally occur. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws and represents a fundamental weakness in input handling and output encoding practices.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to Navigate CMS users and administrators who may be targeted through social engineering campaigns or automated scanning tools. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that exploitation requires user interaction with malicious links, but once triggered, attackers can potentially steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious sites. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers might leverage the XSS to access administrative functions or manipulate content within the CMS. This vulnerability demonstrates poor application security practices and highlights the importance of implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten and the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-14014 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patch or upgrade to a patched version of Navigate CMS. Additionally, implementing proper parameter validation on the fid query parameter within navigate.php, combined with output encoding of all user-supplied data before rendering in web pages, will prevent this class of vulnerability. Security headers such as Content-Security-Policy should be implemented to add additional defense-in-depth measures. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices and implementing proper input sanitization routines as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and the MITRE ATT&CK framework's application layer attack techniques.