CVE-2022-27166 in JSPWiki
Summary
by MITRE • 08/04/2022
A carefully crafted request on XHRHtml2Markup.jsp could trigger an XSS vulnerability on Apache JSPWiki up to and including 2.11.2, which could allow the attacker to execute javascript in the victim's browser and get some sensitive information about the victim.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-27166 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Apache JSPWiki version 2.11.2 and earlier releases. This security weakness resides in the XHRHtml2Markup.jsp component, which processes requests from web clients and converts HTML content into markup format for display within the wiki application. The flaw arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before it is rendered back to the browser, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to adequately sanitize HTML content submitted through the XHRHtml2Markup.jsp endpoint. When a malicious user crafts a specially designed request containing script tags or other potentially harmful content, the application processes this input without proper validation measures. This processing occurs within the context of the victim's browser session, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary javascript code that executes in the victim's browser environment. The vulnerability specifically affects the HTML to markup conversion process where user input flows directly into the output without appropriate escaping mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform a range of malicious activities within the victim's browser context. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, access sensitive information stored in the browser, perform actions on behalf of the user, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The flaw particularly affects authenticated users within the wiki application, as the XSS attack can be executed within the context of their active sessions, potentially allowing for privilege escalation or data exfiltration. This vulnerability compromises the integrity of the application's security model by enabling client-side attacks that bypass server-side security controls.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content. Organizations using Apache JSPWiki versions up to 2.11.2 should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper content sanitization mechanisms. The recommended solution involves upgrading to a patched version of the application, implementing proper HTML escaping for all user-generated content, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious requests targeting this specific endpoint. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous patterns in requests to XHRHtml2Markup.jsp and other similar endpoints within the application.