CVE-2020-15154 in BaserCMS
Summary
by MITRE
baserCMS 4.3.6 and earlier is affected by Cross Site Scripting (XSS) via arbitrary script execution. Admin access is required to exploit this vulnerability. The affected components are: content_fields.php, content_info.php, content_options.php, content_related.php, index_list_tree.php, jquery.bcTree.js. The issue is fixed in version 4.3.7.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-15154 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within baserCMS versions 4.3.6 and earlier, demonstrating a classic security weakness that allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of a victim's browser. This vulnerability specifically affects the content management system's administrative interface, where attackers with valid administrative credentials can inject malicious JavaScript code into various components of the CMS. The flaw manifests through multiple entry points including content_fields.php, content_info.php, content_options.php, content_related.php, index_list_tree.php, and jquery.bcTree.js, indicating a systemic issue within the application's input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) underscores its fundamental nature as an input validation and output encoding failure that permits malicious code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to manipulate the CMS administrative environment and potentially escalate their privileges further. Since administrative access is required to exploit this vulnerability, it represents a privilege escalation vector that could be particularly damaging in environments where administrative credentials are compromised or where attackers have already gained initial access through other means. The attack surface covers multiple core components of the CMS, suggesting that the vulnerability exists in the application's fundamental data handling processes rather than isolated modules. This widespread impact across several files indicates a lack of consistent security controls throughout the application's architecture, creating multiple potential attack paths for malicious actors.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess valid administrative credentials, which introduces a specific threat model where insider threats or compromised administrative accounts pose significant risks. However, the vulnerability's presence in core CMS functionality also means that even a successful initial compromise through other attack vectors could lead to exploitation of this XSS flaw. The fix implemented in version 4.3.7 demonstrates that the issue was addressed through proper input validation and output encoding measures, aligning with recommended practices for preventing cross site scripting attacks. Organizations should consider implementing the remediation immediately, as the vulnerability's exploitation could lead to complete administrative control over the CMS, potentially resulting in unauthorized content modification, data exfiltration, or even the compromise of the entire web application infrastructure. The vulnerability's presence in JavaScript files like jquery.bcTree.js also highlights the importance of securing all client-side components, not just server-side processing logic, as these files often handle dynamic content rendering that can be manipulated through malicious input.
From a security controls perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript) and demonstrates the critical need for comprehensive input validation across all application components. The remediation process should include thorough code review of all affected files to ensure that proper sanitization techniques are implemented consistently throughout the application. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures that account for the possibility of administrative credential compromise leading to this type of vulnerability exploitation.