CVE-2017-10801 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE-2017-10801 article provides details about a cross-site scripting vulnerability in phpSocial (formerly phpDolphin) before version 3.0.1.

Understanding CVE-2017-10801

This CVE involves a security issue in the PATH_INFO of the search/tag/ URI in phpSocial.

What is CVE-2017-10801?

The version of phpSocial (previously known as phpDolphin) before 3.0.1 is vulnerable to a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack due to inadequate input validation.

The Impact of CVE-2017-10801

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute malicious scripts in the context of an unsuspecting user's browser, potentially leading to account compromise, data theft, or further attacks.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-10801

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The XSS vulnerability in phpSocial (phpDolphin) before 3.0.1 allows attackers to inject and execute malicious scripts through the PATH_INFO of the search/tag/ URI.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: phpSocial (phpDolphin)
Versions affected: All versions before 3.0.1

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious input in the PATH_INFO parameter of the search/tag/ URI, tricking users into executing the injected scripts.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2017-10801 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update phpSocial to version 3.0.1 or newer to mitigate the XSS vulnerability.
Implement input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit web applications for security vulnerabilities.
Educate developers on secure coding practices to prevent similar issues in the future.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by phpSocial to address vulnerabilities like CVE-2017-10801.