CVE-2023-5323: Critical Cross-site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability Discovered in Dolibarr ERP & CRM (prior to version 18.)

A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (CVE-2023-5323) has been identified in the widely used Dolibarr ERP & CRM system, specifically impacting GitHub repositories in versions prior to 18.. This critical security vulnerability allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts into webpages viewed by other users and potentially steal sensitive information or perform unauthorized actions. In this long read post, we will dive into the details of this vulnerability, explain how the exploit works, and provide references to the original sources.

Background

Dolibarr ERP & CRM is an open-source, web-based application designed for managing business activities, including sales, purchasing, inventory management, and finance. With a significant user base, it has been widely adopted by organizations of various sizes.

Cross-site Scripting (XSS) is a type of web application vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject malicious code (typically JavaScript) into a webpage. When a victim visits a compromised webpage, the injected scripts run within the victim's browser and can access their data and perform actions on their behalf.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability exists within the input validation and output encoding mechanisms of Dolibarr, where user-supplied data is not correctly sanitized before being included in web pages. A repository within the dolibarr/dolibarr GitHub project contains an instance where unsanitized user inputs are rendered directly as HTML, allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary scripts that will execute when the page is loaded by a victim's browser.

The following code snippet demonstrates the vulnerable section in the application's source code

// File: /htdocs/custom/my_module/my_page.php
// ...

echo '<td>' . $obj->description_field . '</td>';

// ...

In the above code, the $obj->description_field represents a user-defined value fetched from the database, and is directly echoed into the HTML without any validation or filtering of potentially harmful code. As a result, an attacker can inject script tags (or other malicious payloads) that will execute in the context of the victim's browser.

Exploit Details

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to submit a crafted payload containing JavaScript code through a form or an HTTP request. An example of a simple payload is as follows:

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

When submitted as part of an input field that is later displayed in the vulnerable section of the application, this payload will trigger a popup message stating "XSS Vulnerability" when the page loads in a victim's browser.

However, more sophisticated payloads can be constructed to steal cookies, manipulate webpage content, or even redirect the user to a malicious website.

Original References

This vulnerability was first disclosed in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) entry for CVE-2023-5323, which can be found here:

- NVD Entry - CVE-2023-5323

Additionally, this issue was reported within the Dolibarr's GitHub repository. The following links provide further details and discussion:

- Dolibarr GitHub - Issue #18362
- Dolibarr GitHub - Pull Request #18363

Conclusion

The discovery of this XSS vulnerability in Dolibarr ERP & CRM (prior to version 18.) serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and properly sanitizing user input to prevent security breaches. It is critical for organizations utilizing Dolibarr to be aware of this issue and take necessary steps to either update their systems or implement corrective measures to mitigate this risk.

Ultimately, ensuring a high level of security in web applications requires ongoing attention, as new vulnerabilities continue to emerge and cybercriminals become more sophisticated in their efforts to exploit these weaknesses. By staying informed of the latest vulnerabilities and applying best practices in web security, organizations can significantly decrease the likelihood of falling victim to exploits such as the CVE-2023-5323 XSS vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 10/01/2023 01:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/02/2023 20:26:00 UTC