Habari CMS v0.9.2 - (Backend Comments) XSS Vulnerability

[Vulnerability Lab <research () vulnerability-lab com>]

Document Title:
===============
Habari CMS v0.9.2 - (Backend Comments) XSS Vulnerability


References (Source):
====================
https://www.vulnerability-lab.com/get_content.php?id=1999


Release Date:
=============
2016-11-09


Vulnerability Laboratory ID (VL-ID):
====================================
1999


Common Vulnerability Scoring System:
====================================
3.5


Product & Service Introduction:
===============================
While there are a number of technical reasons that highlight the differences and advantages Habari has over other 
blogging packages, a major component of what makes Habari different is its community participation model.

(Copy of the Homepage:  http://habariproject.org/en )


Abstract Advisory Information:
==============================
The vulnerability laboratory core research team discovered a persistent cross site scripting vulnerability in the 
Habari v0.9.2 content management system.


Vulnerability Disclosure Timeline:
==================================
2016-11-09:     Public Disclosure (Vulnerability Laboratory)


Discovery Status:
=================
Published


Affected Product(s):
====================
Habari
Product: Habari - Content Management System 0.9.2


Exploitation Technique:
=======================
Remote


Severity Level:
===============
Medium


Technical Details & Description:
================================
A persistent cross site scripting web vulnerability has been discovered in the official Habari CMS v0.9.2.
The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject own malicious script code on the application-side of affected 
web modules or service function.

The persistent cross site scripting web vulnerability is located in the `name` parameter of the `comments` module.
Remote attackers without privileged web-application user accounts are able to inject malcious script code to the 
comments backend. Thus allows remote attackers to execute script code on preview of the comments section for 
administrators in the application backend. The attack vector of the issue is persistent and the request method to 
inject the malicious comments is POST. The vulnerability is a classic cross site scripting issue that affects the 
backend to compromise administrator accounts.

The security risk of the issue is estimated as medium with a cvss (common vulnerability scoring system) count of 3.5. 
Exploitation of the web vulnerability requires no privileged web-application user account and only low user 
interaction. 
Successful exploitation of the vulnerability results in persistent phishing attacks, session hijacking, persistent 
external redirect to malicious sources and persistent manipulation of affected or connected web module context.

Request Method(s):
[+] POST

Vulnerable Module(s):
[+] Feedback - Comments

Vulnerable Parameter(s):
[+] comment_name

Affected Module(s):
[+] Backend - Comments 


Proof of Concept (PoC):
=======================
The vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers without user account and with low user interaction.
For security demonstration or to reproduce follow the provided information and steps below to continue.


Manual steps to reproduce the vulnerability ...
1. Open the application with an article
2. Write a comment and include as name to the comment a script code payload
3. Save to submit via POST method request
Note: Now the attacker awaits the admin watches the comments
4. The malicious script code payload executes on visit of the comments module in the backend
5. Successful reproduce of the remote vulnerability!


Injection Point: http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/habari#comment-form

Execution Point: http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/admin/comment?id


PoC: Exploitation (comment_name)
<div id="page-bottom">
        <div id="wrapper-bottom">
                <div id="bottom-primary">
                <div id="post-comments">                                                
<div id="comment-1" class="post-comment">
<div class="post-comment-commentor"><h2>
<a href="http://test.de/"; rel="external"><[PAYLOAD EXECUTION VIA NAME OF THE COMMENTS INPUT!]></a>
</h2></div>
<div class="post-comment-body">
<p>test message by pentester</p>                                                
<p class="post-comment-link">
<a href="#comment-1" title="Time of this comment - Click for comment permalink">2016-11-05 8:05 pm</a></p>
</div></div>
<div id="post-comments-footer">
<!-- TODO: A hook can be placed here-->
</div></div>


--- PoC Session Logs [POST] ---
Status: 302[Found]
POST http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/1/d647f75a71/feedback 
Mime Type[text/html]
   Request Header:
      Host[habari.localhost:8080]
      User-Agent[Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; WOW64; rv:49.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/49.0]
      Referer[http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/habari]
      
Cookie[comment_f1d6f9c9f31f8745f650f82892e5d607a4c1cf15=+%2520%3E%22%23sdasd%40gmail.com%23http%3A%2F%2Fsadasd.de%2F; 
g3sid=13e938f0028945d17f32c164f7a9d904f84dfe8e%7E8br7cg0v7kr8mqut1q256vq542; 
_pk_id.2.bb5e=8b2f85bd26c204d7.1478373106.1.1478376901.1478373106.; 
_pk_ref.2.bb5e=%5B%22%22%2C%22%22%2C1478373106%2C%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.localhost:8080%2Fdemo%2F1%2F343%2FGallery%22%5D; 
_pk_ses.2.bb5e=*; PHPSESSID=pau398b2k2gpsafkbh0pdhjvk7; style=light]
      Connection[keep-alive]
      Upgrade-Insecure-Requests[1]
   POST-Daten:
      FormUI[d4ce1bda87af8f173f916f9216dfe2fc]
      comment_name[MALICIOUS+PAYLOAD+INJECT+VIA+NAME]
      comment_email[test%40test.de]
      comment_url[http%3A%2F%2Fwww.test.de]
      comment_content[test+body+msg]
      ce0d8b4d[Submit]
   Response Header:
      Server[nginx/1.2.1]
      Content-Type[text/html;charset=utf-8]
      Connection[keep-alive]
      X-Powered-By[PHP/5.5.27-1+deb.sury.org~precise+1]
      Cache-Control[no-store, no-cache, must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0]
      Location[http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/habari#comment-2]
-
Status: 200[OK]
GET http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/admin/[EXECUTE OF PAYLOAD VIA NAME] 
Mime Type[text/html]
   Request Header:
      Host[habari.localhost:8080]
      User-Agent[Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; WOW64; rv:49.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/49.0]
      Referer[http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/admin/comment?id=2]
      
Cookie[comment_f1d6f9c9f31f8745f650f82892e5d607a4c1cf15=+%2520%3E%22%23sdasd%40gmail.com%23http%3A%2F%2Fsadasd.de%2F; 
g3sid=13e938f0028945d17f32c164f7a9d904f84dfe8e%7E8br7cg0v7kr8mqut1q256vq542; 
_pk_id.2.bb5e=8b2f85bd26c204d7.1478373106.1.1478377048.1478373106.; 
_pk_ref.2.bb5e=%5B%22%22%2C%22%22%2C1478373106%2C%22http%3A%2F%2Fhabari.localhost:8080%2Fx%2F1%2F343%2Fx%22%5D; 
_pk_ses.2.bb5e=*; PHPSESSID=pau398b2k2gpsafkbh0pdhjvk7; style=light]
      DNT[1]
      Connection[keep-alive]
   Response Header:
      Server[nginx/1.2.1]
      Content-Type[text/html;charset=utf-8]
      Transfer-Encoding[chunked]
      Connection[keep-alive]
      X-Powered-By[PHP/5.5.27-1+deb.sury.org~precise+1]


Reference(s):
http://habari.localhost:8080/
http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/
http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/1/
http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/1/d647f75a71/
http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/1/d647f75a71/feedback
http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/admin/
http://habari.localhost:8080/habari/admin/comment


Solution - Fix & Patch:
=======================
The vulnerability can be patched by a secure parse of the name parameter in the comments section of the administrator 
backend.
Restrict the input field and disallow the usage of special chars for comment (name or description).
Parse the input field and escape the entries in case of emergency.


Security Risk:
==============
The security risk of the persistent cross site scripting vulnerability in the habari web-application is estimated as 
medium. (CVSS 3.5)


Credits & Authors:
==================
Vulnerability Laboratory [Research Team] - Benjamin Kunz Mejri 
(http://www.vulnerability-lab.com/show.php?user=Benjamin%20K.M.)


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