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Camaleon CMS vulnerable to stored XSS through user file upload (GHSL-2024-184)

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Sep 18, 2024 in owen2345/camaleon-cms • Updated Sep 18, 2024

Package

bundler camaleon_cms (RubyGems)

Affected versions

< 2.8.1

Patched versions

2.8.1

Description

A stored cross-site scripting has been found in the image upload functionality that can be used by normal registered users: It is possible to upload a SVG image containing JavaScript and it's also possible to upload a HTML document when the format parameter is manually changed to documents or a string of an unsupported format. If an authenticated user or administrator visits that uploaded image or document malicious JavaScript can be executed on their behalf (e.g. changing or deleting content inside of the CMS.)

Proof of concept
Login as a normal user (if user signup is enabled).
Go to the user's profile.
And upload the following profile picture via drag and drop.
The content of the SVG file could be as follows (e.g. name it test-xss.svg):



<script type="text/javascript"> alert("This is an example of a stored XSS attack in an SVG image, here's the cookie: " + document.cookie); </script> The server might fail with a 500 internal server error, but the uploaded image should be available at a location like https:///media/1/test-xss-cookie.svg. If an authenticated user or administrator accesses that link their auth_token is reflected. Since the auth_token cookie contains a static [auth token](https://github.com/owen2345/camaleon-cms/blob/feccb96e542319ed608acd3a16fa5d92f13ede67/app/models/concerns/camaleon_cms/user_methods.rb#L18-L19) value that only changes when a user changes their password.

Impact
This issue may lead to account takeover due to reflected Cross-site scripting (XSS).

Remediation
Only allow the upload of safe files such as PNG, TXT and others or serve all "unsafe" files such as SVG and other files with a content-disposition: attachment header, which should prevent browsers from displaying them.

Additionally, a Content security policy (CSP) can be created that disallows inlined script. (Other parts of the application might need modification to continue functioning.)

To prevent the theft of the auth_token it could be marked with HttpOnly. This would however not prevent that actions could be performed as the authenticated user/administrator. Furthermore, it could make sense to use the authentication provided by Ruby on Rails, so that stolen tokens cannot be used anymore after some time.

References

@owen2345 owen2345 published to owen2345/camaleon-cms Sep 18, 2024
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Sep 18, 2024
Reviewed Sep 18, 2024
Last updated Sep 18, 2024

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Attack Requirements None
Privileges Required Low
User interaction Active
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability None
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality Low
Integrity Low
Availability None

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.
Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.
Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.
User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

Weaknesses

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-r9cr-qmfw-pmrc

Source code

Credits

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