CVE-2021-41728 in News247 CMS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/28/2021
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in Sourcecodester News247 CMS 1.0 via the search function in articles.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2021
The CVE-2021-41728 vulnerability represents a critical cross site scripting flaw discovered in the Sourcecodester News247 Content Management System version 1.0. This vulnerability specifically manifests through the search function within the articles module, creating a significant security risk for web applications that rely on this CMS platform. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross site scripting as a code injection attack that occurs when an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or encoding, allowing malicious scripts to execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization within the search functionality of the News247 CMS. When users submit search queries through the articles section, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input before processing and displaying results. This allows attackers to inject malicious javascript code into the search parameter which then gets executed when other users view the search results page. The flaw operates as a reflected XSS attack where the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the web application's response, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that do not adequately filter user-supplied content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration from authenticated user sessions. Attackers can craft search queries containing malicious javascript payloads that target unsuspecting users who view the search results, potentially compromising user accounts and undermining the integrity of the entire web application. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the CMS by compromising the search feature that is fundamental to user navigation and content discovery, making it a particularly insidious threat to the platform's security posture.
Organizations utilizing Sourcecodester News247 CMS version 1.0 must implement immediate remediation measures to address this vulnerability. The primary mitigation involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the search functionality to prevent malicious payloads from being executed. This includes sanitizing all user inputs through proper escaping techniques and implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious content, making it crucial for security teams to monitor for potential exploitation attempts and implement comprehensive security controls including web application firewalls and regular security assessments. Additionally, upgrading to a patched version of the CMS or implementing proper input validation measures should be prioritized to prevent exploitation of this XSS vulnerability.