CVE-2022-38724 - Cross-site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability in Silverstripe Framework, Assets, and Asset-admin

A new security vulnerability, CVE-2022-38724, has been identified in Silverstripe silverstripe/framework (versions up to 4.11.), silverstripe/assets (versions up to 1.11.), and silverstripe/asset-admin (versions up to 1.11.). The vulnerability allows attackers to perform Cross-site Scripting (XSS) attacks, which can result in the theft of sensitive information such as cookies and user credentials, as well as potentially defacing websites or inserting malicious content. This post will provide an in-depth analysis of the vulnerability, code snippets that demonstrate the issue, and links to original references and exploit details.

Vulnerability Details

The XSS vulnerability exists due to improper input validation and output sanitization in the Silverstripe CMS components mentioned above. It becomes possible for an attacker to craft malicious payloads by injecting JavaScript code into the affected components, causing the browser to execute the attacker's code when users visit the manipulated pages.

The following code snippet illustrates an example of a payload that could be injected into an affected component:

<script>alert('XSS');</script>

In the example above, the JavaScript code will execute an "alert" function, displaying a message box with the text "XSS" when the affected page is viewed. The attacker could replace the alert function with more sophisticated payloads to achieve more nefarious objectives.

A user first identified this vulnerability on the Silverstripe Issues GitHub repository. The vulnerability was subsequently assigned the CVE number CVE-2022-38724. For more information on the vulnerability, you can refer to the following sources:

1. Silverstripe GitHub Issue
2. CVE-2022-38724 Entry on the CVE List
3. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Detail

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could follow these steps

1. Identify a vulnerable Silverstripe CMS component (silverstripe/framework, silverstripe/assets, or silverstripe/asset-admin) and its version.

Distribute a link to the affected page or wait for users to visit the manipulated page.

5. When users visit the page with the injected payload, their browsers execute the attacker's code, compromising their sessions and potentially their sensitive information.

Mitigation and Remediation

Developers using Silverstripe CMS should take the following steps to mitigate and remediate the vulnerability:

1. Update the Silverstripe silverstripe/framework to version 4.11.1 or later.
2. Update the Silverstripe silverstripe/assets to version 1.11.1 or later.
3. Update the Silverstripe silverstripe/asset-admin to version 1.11.1 or later.
4. Review and sanitize all input and output data to ensure no malicious payloads are present in the affected components.

Conclusion

The newly identified CVE-2022-38724 XSS vulnerability in Silverstripe silverstripe/framework, silverstripe/assets, and silverstripe/asset-admin poses a significant threat to the security of Silverstripe CMS installations. By understanding the vulnerability, staying updated with the latest patches, and carefully reviewing and sanitizing input and output data, developers can mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability and maintain the security and integrity of their websites.

Timeline

Published on: 11/23/2022 00:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/28/2022 14:52:00 UTC