CVE-2020-9382 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue was discovered in the Widgets extension through 1.4.0 for MediaWiki, allowing the execution of any wiki page as a widget via MediaWiki's parser function.

Understanding CVE-2020-9382

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in the Widgets extension for MediaWiki that could be exploited to execute arbitrary wiki pages as widgets.

What is CVE-2020-9382?

The vulnerability in the Widgets extension through version 1.4.0 of MediaWiki enables the execution of any wiki page as a widget using MediaWiki's {{#widget:}} parser function.

The Impact of CVE-2020-9382

This vulnerability could potentially allow malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of the affected application, leading to unauthorized access or other security breaches.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-9382

The technical details of this CVE include:

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from improper title sanitization in the Widgets extension, enabling the execution of wiki pages as widgets.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: MediaWiki
Vendor: N/A
Versions affected: 1.4.0 and prior

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by crafting a malicious wiki page title and utilizing the {{#widget:}} parser function to execute it as a widget.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-9382, consider the following mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable the Widgets extension if not essential for operations.
Monitor for any unusual widget executions within MediaWiki.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update MediaWiki and its extensions to the latest versions.
Implement proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches or updates provided by MediaWiki to fix the vulnerability and enhance security measures.