CVE-2020-2502 in Photo Station
Summary
by MITRE • 02/17/2021
This cross-site scripting vulnerability in Photo Station allows remote attackers to inject malicious code. QANP We have already fixed this vulnerability in the following versions of Photo Station. Photo Station 6.0.11 and later
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2021
This cross-site scripting vulnerability in Photo Station represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the photo sharing application, creating an attack surface where malicious scripts can be injected through user-controllable parameters. The flaw specifically affects the web interface of Photo Station, which processes user inputs without proper sanitization, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that persist in the application's data storage or execution environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard XSS attack patterns where attackers can inject script code through various input vectors including file names, comments, or metadata fields within the photo upload process. When legitimate users view the maliciously crafted content, the embedded scripts execute in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant where the malicious code is permanently stored on the server and executed whenever the affected content is rendered to users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to user accounts and potentially compromise the entire Photo Station deployment. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to manipulate user sessions, access sensitive photo collections, and execute arbitrary commands within the application's privileges. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers do not require physical access or local network presence, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise deployments where Photo Station serves as a corporate photo sharing platform. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) techniques, as attackers can use it to establish initial access and subsequently execute malicious payloads.
The vendor has addressed this vulnerability through the release of Photo Station version 6.0.11 and subsequent updates, implementing proper input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy mechanisms. Organizations should immediately upgrade to these patched versions to eliminate the risk of exploitation. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls, conducting regular security assessments, and establishing proper input sanitization procedures. Security teams should also monitor for any exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and log monitoring, as the vulnerability's exploitation typically manifests through specific patterns in HTTP request parameters and user agent strings. The fix demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the critical need for proper input validation in web applications to prevent persistent security flaws that can compromise entire user bases.