CVE-2018-5216 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Radiant CMS 1.1.4 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks when a crafted Markdown input is provided in the part_body_content parameter.

Understanding CVE-2018-5216

This CVE identifies a specific vulnerability in Radiant CMS 1.1.4 that can be exploited through cross-site scripting attacks.

What is CVE-2018-5216?

The admin/pages/*/edit resource in Radiant CMS 1.1.4 is susceptible to XSS attacks when malicious Markdown input is inserted into the part_body_content parameter.

The Impact of CVE-2018-5216

This vulnerability could allow attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of an authenticated user's session, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-5216

Radiant CMS 1.1.4 is affected by a specific XSS vulnerability due to improper input validation.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the lack of proper sanitization of user-supplied Markdown input in the part_body_content parameter of the admin/pages/*/edit resource.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Radiant CMS 1.1.4
Vendor: N/A
Version: N/A

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by injecting crafted Markdown content into the part_body_content parameter, leading to the execution of malicious scripts in the user's browser.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2018-5216.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable Markdown input in the affected parameter if not essential for functionality.
Implement proper input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks.
Regularly monitor and audit user inputs for any suspicious or malicious content.

Long-Term Security Practices

Educate developers on secure coding practices to prevent XSS vulnerabilities.
Keep software and libraries up to date to patch known security issues.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches or updates provided by Radiant CMS to address this XSS vulnerability.