CVE-2023-3752 in Academy LMS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/19/2023
A vulnerability was found in Creativeitem Academy LMS 5.15. It has been rated as problematic. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the file /home/courses. The manipulation of the argument sort_by leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be launched remotely. VDB-234422 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3752 represents a cross site scripting flaw within Creativeitem Academy LMS version 5.15 that poses significant security risks to organizations utilizing this learning management system. This issue resides in the /home/courses functionality where improper input validation allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts through the sort_by parameter. The vulnerability has been classified as problematic due to its potential for remote exploitation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the platform is publicly accessible. The lack of vendor response to early disclosure attempts compounds the risk, leaving organizations without official patches or mitigations for an extended period.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input within the sort_by argument processing mechanism. When users interact with the course listing functionality, the system fails to properly validate or escape the sort_by parameter before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This oversight creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious javascript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected cross site scripting attack where the malicious payload is embedded within the URL parameters and executed when the affected page loads. This flaw directly aligns with CWE-79 which catalogs cross site scripting vulnerabilities as a primary concern for web application security. The attack vector operates entirely through web browser interactions without requiring any special privileges or local system access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, or redirect victims to malicious domains. In an educational environment where the LMS typically contains sensitive student information, course materials, and administrative data, this vulnerability could facilitate unauthorized access to confidential academic records. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target users from any location without requiring physical access to the network infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects the ATT&CK technique T1566 which encompasses social engineering attacks through malicious links, making it a significant concern for organizations implementing security awareness training programs. The vulnerability also represents a potential pathway for lateral movement within network environments where the LMS serves as a central hub for educational activities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security audits of web applications should include thorough parameter validation testing. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to filter suspicious requests before they reach the vulnerable application components. The absence of vendor response underscores the importance of maintaining internal security measures and not relying solely on vendor patches for protection. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues in other components of the educational technology stack, as this vulnerability may indicate broader security weaknesses in the platform's architecture.