CVE-2019-12186 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability has been identified in Sylius products that allows for a cross-site scripting attack due to missing input sanitization.

Understanding CVE-2019-12186

This CVE involves a security issue in Sylius products that could be exploited by an attacker to execute a cross-site scripting attack.

What is CVE-2019-12186?

The vulnerability in Sylius products allows an attacker, particularly an admin in the sylius/sylius scenario, to inject malicious code into a field displayed in a grid with the "string" field type, leading to a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack.

The Impact of CVE-2019-12186

The lack of input sanitization in Sylius versions 1.0.x through 1.4.3 and sylius/grid versions 1.0.x through 1.4.4, as well as 1.5.0, enables an attacker to manipulate the displayed content and execute malicious scripts within the application.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-12186

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the absence of proper input sanitization in Sylius products, allowing for the injection of malicious code into specific fields, leading to a cross-site scripting vulnerability.

Affected Systems and Versions

Sylius versions 1.0.x through 1.4.3
Sylius/grid versions 1.0.x through 1.4.4, and 1.5.0

Exploitation Mechanism

The attacker, posing as an admin in the sylius/sylius scenario, injects malicious code into a field displayed in a grid with the "string" field type. The injected code is then executed when the __toString() method of the object within the grid is called.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2019-12186, follow these steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the vendor-released patches promptly.
Implement input sanitization mechanisms to filter out malicious code.
Educate users on safe data handling practices.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Sylius products to the latest versions.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.
Monitor and restrict user input to prevent injection attacks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure all Sylius versions are updated to the patched versions that address the input sanitization vulnerability.