CVE-2020-36653 in GENI
Summary
by MITRE • 01/18/2023
A vulnerability was found in GENI Portal. It has been rated as problematic. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the file portal/www/portal/error-text.php. The manipulation of the argument error leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be launched remotely. The name of the patch is c2356cc41260551073bfaa3a94d1ab074f554938. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. VDB-218474 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-36653 resides within the GENI Portal application, specifically affecting the file portal/www/portal/error-text.php. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a significant security risk that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw manifests when the application processes the error argument without proper input validation or sanitization, creating an avenue for malicious code execution. The vulnerability has been classified as problematic by security researchers, indicating its potential to cause substantial harm to affected systems and users. The attack vector is remote, meaning that malicious actors can exploit this weakness without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input within the error handling mechanism of the GENI Portal. When the application processes error messages, it fails to properly escape or filter the error argument before rendering it in the web interface. This oversight creates a classic XSS vulnerability where attackers can inject malicious JavaScript code through the error parameter, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability affects the broader functionality of the portal's error reporting system, potentially compromising user sessions, stealing sensitive information, or redirecting users to malicious websites. The specific commit hash c2356cc41260551073bfaa3a94d1ab074f554938 represents the patch that addresses this security flaw by implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks within the GENI Portal ecosystem. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the broader ATT&CK framework, particularly under the initial access and execution phases where adversaries leverage web application vulnerabilities to establish footholds. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a critical weakness that could enable session hijacking, credential theft, or data exfiltration. Organizations utilizing the GENI Portal must recognize that this vulnerability could be exploited to compromise the integrity of the entire portal infrastructure, potentially affecting research data, user credentials, and system availability.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize the immediate application of the provided patch referenced by commit hash c2356cc41260551073bfaa3a94d1ab074f554938. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices throughout the application's error handling mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging. Security teams should conduct thorough code reviews focusing on user input processing and implement automated security testing tools to identify potential XSS vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices, particularly in web applications where user input is processed and rendered in browser contexts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not persist in other components of the GENI Portal or related systems, maintaining overall security posture against evolving threat landscapes.