CVE-2020-21130 in HisiPHP
Summary
by MITRE • 06/21/2021
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HisiPHP 2.0.8 via the group name in addgroup.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2021
The CVE-2020-21130 vulnerability represents a cross site scripting flaw within the HisiPHP content management system version 2.0.8, specifically manifesting in the addgroup.html component where user-supplied group names are improperly handled. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The issue occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user input before rendering it within the web page context, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the group name parameter within the addgroup.html interface. When an attacker submits a specially crafted group name containing malicious script code, the application stores this input without adequate validation or sanitization. Upon subsequent display of this group name in the web interface, the embedded script executes in the browser of any user who views the affected page. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the user input validation level rather than requiring complex exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-21130 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to establish persistent footholds within the application environment. An attacker could craft malicious group names that, when displayed, would steal authentication tokens or redirect users to phishing sites designed to capture credentials. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the web application's user interface and can compromise the confidentiality and availability of user data. Given that HisiPHP is a content management system, successful exploitation could lead to complete administrative takeover of the affected website, allowing unauthorized modification of content, user accounts, or system configuration settings. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation practices and highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive security measures at every layer of web application development.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-21130 should prioritize immediate application patching from the vendor, as this represents a critical security flaw that requires urgent remediation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious script injection, specifically ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews focusing on input handling and output encoding practices, particularly in areas where user data is directly incorporated into web page content. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be performed to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application, while adherence to secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework is essential for preventing future occurrences of this class of vulnerability.