CVE-2022-4561 in SemanticDrilldown Extension
Summary
by MITRE • 12/16/2022
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in SemanticDrilldown Extension. Affected is the function printFilterLine of the file includes/specials/SDBrowseDataPage.php of the component GET Parameter Handler. The manipulation of the argument value leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The name of the patch is 6e18cf740a4548166c1d95f6d3a28541d298a3aa. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-215964.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4561 represents a cross site scripting flaw within the SemanticDrilldown extension for MediaWiki platforms. This security issue resides in the GET parameter handler component, specifically within the printFilterLine function located in the includes/specials/SDBrowseDataPage.php file. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker manipulates the value argument parameter, creating conditions that allow malicious script execution in the context of affected systems. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which defines cross site scripting as a critical weakness in web applications where untrusted data is improperly handled and executed within web browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables remote code execution capabilities that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to complete system compromise. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious URLs containing specially crafted payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable function, execute unauthorized scripts in users' browsers. This remote exploit capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks that can include malicious links or scripts delivered through web interfaces. The vulnerability affects users who interact with the SemanticDrilldown extension's browsing functionality, particularly those who may encounter manipulated filter parameters in search or navigation interfaces.
The patch addressing this vulnerability, identified by the commit hash 6e18cf740a4548166c1d95f6d3a28541d298a3aa, provides a necessary mitigation that sanitizes input parameters before processing them within the printFilterLine function. Organizations deploying SemanticDrilldown extensions must urgently apply this patch to prevent exploitation of the cross site scripting vulnerability. Security teams should also implement additional defensive measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious parameter injection attempts, input validation mechanisms that filter out potentially dangerous characters, and regular security scanning of deployed web applications. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications, particularly in extensions that handle user-provided data through GET parameters, as demonstrated by the direct relationship between the vulnerable function and the attack vector through parameter manipulation.