(PT-2009-23) Positive Technologies Security Advisory
PixelGems CMS Multiple Vulnerabilities

Affected Software

PixelGems CMS
Version XX and XXX

Product Link:
http://pixelgems.com

Severity Rating

Severity: High
Impact: SQL Injection, Path Traversal, Cross-site Scripting
Attack Vector: Remote

CVSS v2

Base Score: 7.5
Temporal Score: 5.9
Vector: (AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P/E:P/RL:O/RC:C)

CVE: not assigned

Software Description

PixelGems CMS is a content management system (CMS) software, usually implemented as a Web application, for creating and managing HTML content. It is used to manage and control a large, dynamic collection of Web material (HTML documents and their associated images).

Vulnerability Description

Positive Technologies Research Team has discovered the following vulnerabilities in PixelGems CMS:

A) Multiple SQL Injection vulnerabities

B) Path Traversal

C) Multiple Cross-site Scripting vulnerabities

A) SQL Injection

SQL injection is an attack technique that can be used to extract, modify, add or delete information from database servers that are used by vulnerable web applications. SQL injection vulnerabilities are caused by an unsecured programming technique that allows client-supplied data to interfere with the syntax of SQL queries. SQL is a programming language that is used by applications to communicate with database systems.

User input passed to the "category", "start_pos" and "email" parameters is not properly sanitized. This can allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands.

Example (1):
http://[server]/products.php?category=Footwear'SQL-code

Example (2)
http://[server]/sales.php?start_pos=30'SQL-code

B) Path Traversal

The Path Traversal attack technique forces access to files, directories, and commands that potentially reside outside the web document root directory. An attacker may manipulate a URL in such a way that the web site will execute or reveal the contents of arbitrary files anywhere on the web server. Any device that exposes an HTTP-based interface is potentially vulnerable to Path Traversal.

Example:
http://[server]/filedownload.php?file=../../etc/passwd

B) Multiple Cross-site Scripting vulnerabities

User input passed to the "category" and "submit" setting is not properly sanitized. This can be exploited to inject malicious code and allows to execute arbitrary HTML and script code in a user's browser session in context of an affected site.

Example:
http://[server]/products.php?category=

Malicious users may inject JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX, HTML or Flash into a vulnerable application to fool users in order to gather data from their machines. An attacker can steal the session cookie and take over the account impersonating the user. It is also possible to modify page content presented to the user.

Solution

Update to latest version.

Disclosure Timeline

04/03/2009 - Vendor is notified
04/03/2009 - Vendor response
04/03/2009 - Requested status update from vendor
XX/03/2009 - Vendor releases fixed version and details
XX/03/2009 - Public disclosure

Credits

This vulnerability was discovered by Dmitry Evteev (Positive Technologies Research Team) using professional network security scanner MaxPatrol.

References

http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/PT-2009-23
http://www.ptsecurity.ru/advisory.asp

Complete list of vulnerability reports published by Positive Technologies Research Team:

http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/
http://www.ptsecurity.ru/advisory.asp

About Positive Technologies

Positive Technologies www.ptsecurity.com is among the key players in the IT security market in Russia.
The principal activities of the company include the development of integrated tools for information security monitoring (MaxPatrol); providing IT security consulting services and technical support; the development of the Securitylab en.securitylab.ru leading Russian information security portal.

Among the clients of Positive Technologies there are more than 40 state enterprises, more than 50 banks and financial organizations, 20 telecommunication companies, more than 40 plant facilities, as well as IT, service and retail companies from Russia, CIS countries, Baltic States, China, Ecuador, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mexico, South African Republic, Thailand, Turkey and USA.

Positive Technologies is a team of highly skilled developers, advisers and experts with years of vast hands-on experience. The company specialists possess professional titles and certificates; they are the members of various international societies and are actively involved in the IT security field development.