CVE-2020-5283 : Security Advisory and Response

ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the

show_subdir_lastmod

feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names that could cause the browser to run unwanted code.

Understanding CVE-2020-5283

What is CVE-2020-5283?

CVE-2020-5283 is an XSS vulnerability in ViewVC versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1, allowing attackers with commit privileges to execute malicious code through files with unsafe names.

The Impact of CVE-2020-5283

The vulnerability has a low severity base score of 3.1 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) due to the high complexity required for an attack and the need for specific privileges.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-5283

Vulnerability Description

XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: ViewVC
Vendor: ViewVC
Versions: < 1.1.28, >= 1.2.0, < 1.2.1

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: High
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: Required

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update ViewVC to versions 1.1.28 or 1.2.1
Disable the

show_subdir_lastmod

feature if not essential

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update software for security patches
Educate users on safe coding practices to prevent XSS vulnerabilities

Patching and Updates

ViewVC versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 include patches for this XSS vulnerability