CVE-2022-45036 - A Dangerous Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability Found in WBCE CMS v1.5.4 Search Settings Module

A newly discovered vulnerability, referenced as CVE-2022-45036, has been found in the Search Settings module of WBCE CMS v1.5.4. This cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability puts both website administrators and users at risk, as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML payloads through the module's "No Results" field. This blog post aims to provide a detailed overview of the exploit and code snippet to demonstrate the vulnerability, as well as links to original references for further information.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability occurs in the Search Settings module of WBCE CMS v1.5.4, an open-source content management system. Specifically, this XSS flaw targets the "No Results" field, which is intended to display a message when a user's search query returns no results.

When an attacker injects a carefully crafted payload into this field, the unsafe handling of user input allows the malicious script to be executed. This may lead to a variety of severe consequences, such as compromising user data, hijacking sessions, or defacing the website.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates the vulnerability by injecting a simple payload into the "No Results" field, causing an alert dialog box to be displayed:

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

When an administrator saves this payload as the "No Results" message and a user performs a search that returns zero results, the script executes, and the alert dialog is shown to the user.

Exploit

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must first gain administrative access to the WBCE CMS v1.5.4 instance (typically through credential theft or another vulnerability). Once they have access, the attacker can navigate to the Search Settings module and inject their malicious payload into the "No Results" field.

With the payload injected and saved, any user performing a search without results will trigger the malicious script. Depending on the payload, this may lead to data theft, session hijacking, or other harm to the application and its users.

Here are some of the original references and resources for further reading on CVE-2022-45036

1. CVE-2022-45036 – National Vulnerability Database - This link provides the official CVE entry, including a brief description, CVSS score, and related resources.
2. WBCE CMS GitHub Repository - The WBCE CMS GitHub repository contains the source code, along with release notes and potential updates addressing this vulnerability.
3. MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration – Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) - This reference offers a detailed explanation of cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, their impact, and recommendations for mitigation.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-45036 highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input sanitization to prevent cross-site scripting attacks. While the exploitation of this vulnerability requires administrator access, it serves as a reminder that even trusted users can pose a risk if exploited by imaginative attackers. Both developers and administrators should stay up-to-date with security developments and remediation efforts, and ensure that their systems are configured with the latest security patches.

Timeline

Published on: 11/25/2022 16:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/28/2022 21:07:00 UTC