DedeCMS is a popular content management system (CMS) that allows developers to quickly create and manage dynamic websites. It has been found to have multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in versions up to and including 5.7.110, specifically at the /dede/vote_add.php file via the votename and voteitem1 parameters. This blog post will delve into the details of these vulnerabilities, the potential impact, and how to protect your site from potential attacks.

Vulnerability Details

Cross-site scripting (XSS) occurs when an attacker is able to inject malicious code (typically JavaScript) into a web page that is then executed by other users visiting that page. In this case, the /dede/vote_add.php file in DedeCMS contains multiple XSS vulnerabilities via the votename and voteitem1 parameters.

The XSS vulnerabilities can be exploited by an attacker to add malicious JavaScript code, which can allow them to perform various attacks such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious websites, and defacing the website's appearance.

Here's a snippet of the affected code in /dede/vote_add.php

$votename = $voteitem = "";
if(!empty($GLOBALS['votename'])) $votename = HtmlReplace(trim($GLOBALS['votename']), 1);
if(!empty($GLOBALS['voteitem'])) $voteitem = HtmlReplace(trim($GLOBALS['voteitem']), 1);

The votename and voteitem1 parameters are passed without proper sanitization, and as a result, malicious code can be injected via these parameters.

Here's an example of a malicious HTTP GET request that exploits the vulnerability

GET /dede/vote_add.php?votename=<script>alert('xss')</script>&voteitem1=<script>alert('xss')</script> HTTP/1.1

Original References

These vulnerabilities were initially discovered by security researchers and have been assigned the following CVE-2023-40874 identifier by MITRE.

- MITRE's CVE page: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvekey.cgi?keyword=CVE-2023-40874

Exploit Potential

An attacker exploiting these vulnerabilities can potentially steal sensitive information such as user session cookies, execute malicious scripts in the context of the user's browser, or even deface the website's appearance. The severity of the attacks depends on the sensitivity of the information stored on the website and the level of user interaction.

Protection and Mitigation Strategies

To protect your website against these vulnerabilities, it is essential to update DedeCMS to the latest version. The developers of DedeCMS have released a security update that contains patches for these XSS vulnerabilities. You can download the latest version of DedeCMS from their official website:

- DedeCMS download link: http://www.dedecms.com/download/

Additionally, you should also follow security best practices when developing and managing your DedeCMS site. These include regularly auditing your code for security vulnerabilities, using secure coding practices that include proper input validation and output encoding, and keeping your server software up to date with the latest security patches. Another key practice is enforcing strong access controls to ensure only authorized users can access sensitive parts of your site.

Conclusion

This blog post has provided an overview of the multiple XSS vulnerabilities found in DedeCMS versions up to and including 5.7.110. We've detailed the affected code, potential impacts, and steps to mitigate and protect your site from potential exploits by updating to the latest version and adhering to security best practices.

As security threats continue to evolve, staying proactive in protecting your website is essential. Regularly updating your software, following security best practices, and monitoring for potential threats can help keep your data and users safe from potential attacks and breaches.

Timeline

Published on: 08/24/2023 15:15:07 UTC
Last modified on: 08/25/2023 13:19:53 UTC