Overview
CVE-2025-13793 identifies a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in the winston-dsouza Ecommerce-Website, specifically in versions up to commit 87734c043269baac0b4cfe9664784462138b1b2e. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts into the browser of unsuspecting users. The vendor, winston-dsouza, has not responded to attempts at responsible disclosure, leaving websites using this software vulnerable.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the /includes/header_menu.php file of the Ecommerce-Website. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input passed through the Error GET parameter. By manipulating this parameter, an attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code that will be executed in the context of the user’s browser. This code can then be used to steal cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or deface the website.
The specific vulnerable code section is related to how the application processes and displays error messages based on the Error GET parameter. Without proper encoding or sanitization, the application renders the provided value directly into the HTML output, leading to XSS.
Exploit details have been publicly released, making it easier for attackers to leverage this vulnerability.
CVSS Analysis
The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 4.3 (Medium), indicating a moderate level of risk. The CVSS vector is likely AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N. This translates to:
- Attack Vector (AV:N): Network, meaning the attack can be launched remotely.
- Attack Complexity (AC:L): Low, indicating that the vulnerability is relatively easy to exploit.
- Privileges Required (PR:N): None, meaning the attacker doesn’t need any special privileges.
- User Interaction (UI:R): Required, indicating that a user needs to interact with the injected script (e.g., by clicking a link).
- Scope (S:U): Unchanged, the vulnerability does not affect resources outside the security scope defined by the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality Impact (C:N): None, the attacker cannot directly access sensitive data.
- Integrity Impact (I:L): Low, the attacker can modify the content of the web page.
- Availability Impact (A:N): None, the attacker cannot disrupt the availability of the website.
Possible Impact
A successful XSS attack can have serious consequences, including:
- Account Hijacking: Attackers can steal user session cookies, gaining unauthorized access to user accounts.
- Website Defacement: Attackers can modify the appearance of the website, potentially damaging its reputation.
- Malware Distribution: Attackers can redirect users to malicious websites that distribute malware.
- Phishing Attacks: Attackers can create fake login forms to steal user credentials.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
Given the vendor’s lack of response and the rolling release nature of the software, a direct patch is unlikely. Therefore, the following mitigation steps are recommended:
- Input Sanitization: Implement robust input sanitization on the
ErrorGET parameter in/includes/header_menu.php. Escape or encode all user-supplied data before rendering it in the HTML output. Use appropriate escaping functions for the specific context (e.g., HTML escaping). - Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) to restrict the sources from which the browser can load resources. This can help prevent the execution of injected JavaScript code.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect and block malicious requests, including those containing XSS payloads.
- Consider Alternative Solutions: If possible, evaluate and migrate to a more secure e-commerce platform with a better security track record.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
