CVE-2020-18469 in Rukovoditel
Summary
by MITRE • 08/27/2021
Stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Copyright Text field found in the Application page under the Configuration menu in Rukovoditel 2.4.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted website name by doing an authenticated POST HTTP request to /rukovoditel_2.4.1/index.php?module=configuration/save&redirect_to=configuration/application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2020-18469 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw in Rukovoditel version 2.4.1 that resides within the Copyright Text field of the Application configuration page. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the web application's authentication and configuration management components. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface where authorized users can modify system-wide settings including copyright information displayed in the application's footer or header sections. Attackers exploiting this weakness can persistently inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of other users' browsers when they navigate to pages containing the compromised copyright text.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker who can successfully submit a malicious payload through an HTTP POST request to the specific endpoint /rukovoditel_2.4.1/index.php?module=configuration/save&redirect_to=configuration/application. This endpoint handles the saving of configuration parameters including the Copyright Text field, where the malicious input is stored in the database without proper sanitization. The stored payload becomes part of the application's configuration data and is subsequently rendered in web pages without adequate HTML escaping or context-appropriate encoding. This creates a persistent XSS vector that affects all users who view pages containing the compromised copyright information, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited against multiple users over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute arbitrary commands within the victim's browser context. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious payload remains active until manually removed by administrators, creating a long-term security risk. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which describes the use of malicious content delivered through web applications to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized actions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data processing pipeline. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-supplied input in the Copyright Text field using context-appropriate encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding or JavaScript escaping before storing data in the database. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other configuration fields. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper access controls to ensure that only authorized users can modify critical application configuration parameters. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools and regular penetration testing to identify and remediate similar stored XSS vulnerabilities across their web applications.