CVE-2020-25812 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis
Discover the impact of CVE-2020-25812, a vulnerability in MediaWiki 1.34.x versions before 1.34.4 that could lead to a mild XSS exploit. Learn about affected systems, exploitation, and mitigation steps.
An issue was discovered in MediaWiki 1.34.x before 1.34.4 that could lead to a mild XSS vulnerability.
Understanding CVE-2020-25812
This CVE involves a vulnerability in MediaWiki 1.34.x versions prior to 1.34.4 that could potentially allow for a mild XSS exploit.
What is CVE-2020-25812?
This CVE identifies a specific security flaw in MediaWiki versions 1.34.x before 1.34.4. The vulnerability occurs in the NS filter on Special:Contributions, where unescaped messages are used as keys in the option key for an HTMLForm specifier. If one of these messages is altered to include raw HTML, it could be exploited for a mild XSS attack.
The Impact of CVE-2020-25812
The vulnerability could be exploited to execute a mild XSS attack, potentially allowing an attacker to inject and execute malicious scripts within the context of the affected web application.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-25812
This section provides more in-depth technical details about the CVE.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability arises from the use of unescaped messages as keys in the option key for an HTMLForm specifier on Special:Contributions in MediaWiki versions 1.34.x before 1.34.4.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Affected Version: MediaWiki 1.34.x
- Versions before 1.34.4 are vulnerable
Exploitation Mechanism
- Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by modifying messages to include raw HTML, potentially leading to a mild XSS attack.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2020-25812 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Update MediaWiki to version 1.34.4 or later to mitigate the vulnerability
- Monitor and restrict user input that could be used to inject malicious scripts
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch software to the latest versions
- Implement input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks
Patching and Updates
- Apply patches and security updates provided by MediaWiki to address this vulnerability