CVE-2020-23710 in LimeSurvey
Summary
by MITRE • 06/28/2021
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulneraiblity in LimeSurvey 4.2.5 on textbox via the Notifications & data feature.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/03/2021
The CVE-2020-23710 vulnerability represents a cross site scripting flaw discovered in LimeSurvey version 4.2.5 that specifically affects the Notifications & data feature component. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into text input fields, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the survey platform's notification handling system. LimeSurvey is widely used for creating and managing online surveys, making this vulnerability particularly concerning as it could affect thousands of organizations relying on the platform for data collection and user interaction.
The technical flaw manifests when users interact with the textbox functionality within the Notifications & data feature, where user-supplied input fails to undergo proper sanitization before being rendered back to other users. This creates an environment where malicious actors can craft specially formatted input containing javascript code or other malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates under the CWE-79 classification as a cross site scripting attack, specifically targeting the application's failure to properly encode output data. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the LimeSurvey application and its users, exploiting the expectation that data entered by legitimate users will be safely processed and displayed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration attacks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially access sensitive survey data, manipulate survey results, or even gain administrative privileges within the LimeSurvey environment. The risk is particularly elevated in organizations that handle confidential information through surveys, such as healthcare providers, financial institutions, or government agencies. The vulnerability affects the platform's core functionality and could compromise the integrity of survey responses, potentially leading to incorrect data analysis and business decisions based on manipulated information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-23710 should include immediate patching of LimeSurvey to version 4.2.6 or later, which contains the necessary input validation and output encoding fixes. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as content security policies to limit script execution capabilities, regular input validation testing, and monitoring for suspicious user activity. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for script injection, highlighting the need for defensive measures that prevent malicious script execution. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation, while regular security audits should verify that all input fields within the application properly sanitize user data before processing or display.