CVE-2020-22152 in Fuel
Summary
by MITRE • 07/04/2023
Cross Site Scripting vulnerability in daylight studio FUEL- CMS v.1.4.6 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via the page title, meta description and meta keywords of the pages function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-22152 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within the daylight studio FUEL CMS version 1.4.6. This security weakness resides in the content management system's handling of user input through the page title, meta description, and meta keywords fields. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts that can be executed in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or further exploitation of the affected system. The vulnerability specifically affects the pages function of the CMS, which is a core component responsible for managing web content and metadata.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the CMS's page management module. When administrators or users enter content into the page title, meta description, or meta keywords fields, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape these inputs before rendering them in the web interface. This lack of proper input filtering creates an environment where malicious payloads can be stored and subsequently executed when the affected pages are viewed by other users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-22152 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can serve as a launching point for more sophisticated attacks within the compromised environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject additional malicious content that could compromise the entire CMS installation. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the content management system and can potentially lead to complete system compromise if combined with other exploitation techniques. Organizations using FUEL CMS version 1.4.6 face significant risk of unauthorized access to their web applications and potential data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the affected CMS version to the latest available release that addresses the XSS flaw. Organizations should also implement input validation and output encoding measures to prevent malicious code injection, as recommended by CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross site scripting vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security audits of web applications can help prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under initial access techniques, specifically noting that XSS attacks can be used to establish persistent access to target systems through the execution of malicious scripts in user browsers. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious input patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.