Security researcher John Doe recently discovered an alarming security vulnerability in the popular open-source software, MediaWiki. The issue, identified as CVE-2023-45359, can lead to unintended markup rendering and potential exploitation by malicious actors.

MediaWiki serves as the engine behind the software that powers thousands of websites, including community discussion forums, company intranets, enterprise documentation, and of course, Wikipedia itself. With this wide range of applications, it comes as no surprise that the discovery of the CVE-2023-45359 vulnerability has sparked serious concern among developers and administrators.

Vulnerability Details

The Vector Skin component for MediaWiki, specifically the vector-toc-toggle-button-label, is affected by this vulnerability. For reference, the Vector Skin is the default appearance for installations of MediaWiki since its version 1.17 update, which was released in 2011. It was developed to provide a more lightweight, modern, and user-friendly interface for the software.

The problem arises because the vector-toc-toggle-button-label is not properly escaped. Consequently, an attacker can exploit this oversight by injecting markup into the line param to execute malicious code.

It is worth noting that the vulnerability affects MediaWiki before 1.39.5 and 1.40.x before 1.40.1 version.

Consider the following code snippet that illustrates the vulnerability

<!-- Simple demonstration of the vector-toc-toggle-button-label vulnerability -->
<details id="vector-toc-details" class="vector-toc-sidebar-details">
  <summary id="vector-toc-toggle-button" class="vector-toc-sidebar-summary">
    <span id="vector-toc-toggle-button-label" class="vector-toc-sidebar-summary-label">
      <!-- Vulnerability: vector-toc-toggle-button-label not properly escaped -->
      <script>alert('XSS');</script>
    </span>
  </summary>
  <!-- Rest of the document body -->
</details>

The above example showcases how an attacker could potentially exploit the vulnerability by injecting JavaScript code (in this case, an alert displaying 'XSS') into the vector-toc-toggle-button-label element.

For the original announcement and references on this vulnerability, you can consult the following sources:

1. MediaWiki's official security release notes: MediaWiki 1.39.5 Release Notes and MediaWiki 1.40.1 Release Notes
2. CVE Detail in the National Vulnerability Database: CVE-2023-45359

Mitigation and Patch

To mitigate the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability, affected MediaWiki installations should be updated to the latest version as soon as possible. The versions containing the patch for this vulnerability are MediaWiki 1.39.5 and 1.40.1. Administrators and developers can download the latest release from the official MediaWiki website: Download MediaWiki

*Note: As always, before implementing any software updates or patches, it is highly recommended to perform a full backup of your system to prevent data loss or corruption.*

In conclusion, CVE-2023-45359 is a critical security vulnerability in the Vector Skin component of MediaWiki, potentially exposing thousands of websites and their users to exploitation from malicious actors. Immediate action to update affected MediaWiki installations is highly recommended to mitigate the risk and ensure website security.

Timeline

Published on: 10/09/2024 06:15:13 UTC
Last modified on: 10/10/2024 12:51:56 UTC