CVE-2011-2935: Elgg/elgg Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mcfm-j5g6-w26f
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2011-2935 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Elgg/elgg libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves elgg reflected xss vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.7.11.

CVE-2011-2935 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2011-2935
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mcfm-j5g6-w26f
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.1
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Elgg/elgg
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2011-2935

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Elgg/elgg dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

elgg/elgg fixed: 1.7.11 
Upgrade elgg/elgg to 1.7.11
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for elgg/elgg

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2011-2935, inspect your project dependencies for Elgg/elgg:

inspect dependencies for elgg/elgg

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Elgg/elgg in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.7.11), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. In Elgg/elgg, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### VULNERABILITY DESCRIPTION The `internalname` parameter is not properly sanitized, which allows attacker to conduct Cross Site Scripting attack. This may allow an attacker to create a specially crafted URL that would execute arbitrary script code in a victim's browser ### PROOF-OF-CONCEPT/EXPLOIT ```http http://localhost/pg/embed/media?internalname=%20%22onmouseover=%22alert%28/XSS/%29%22style=%22width:3000px!important;height:3000px!important;z-index:999999;position:absolute!important;left:0;top:0;%22%20x=%22 ```

CVE-2011-2935 Affected Elgg/elgg Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.7.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
elgg/elgg
 Packagist
< 1.7.11
1.7.11

References

NVD — CVE-2011-2935 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-2935
Elgg/elgg Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/Elgg/Elgg/issues/3544
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/Elgg/Elgg/commit/2843b4f846874d434a2403ac1f27e41035b45e04
Elgg/elgg Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/Elgg/Elgg
Elgg/elgg Security Information SECURITY
https://oss-security.openwall.narkive.com/1UH3NYx8/cve-request-elgg-1-7-10-multiple-vulnerabilities
Elgg/elgg Security Information SECURITY
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2011-2935
web.archive.org/web/20110907122607/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20110907122607/http://blog.elgg.org/pg/blog/brett/read/189/elgg-1711-released
http://yehg.net/lab/pr0js/advisories/[elgg_1710]_xss_sqlin WEB
http://yehg.net/lab/pr0js/advisories/[elgg_1710]_xss_sqlin

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2011-2935?
CVE-2011-2935 is a security vulnerability in Elgg/elgg involving Elgg Reflected XSS Vulnerability under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Elgg/elgg versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.7.11 across affected packages: elgg/elgg.
What version fixes CVE-2011-2935?
Upgrading to 1.7.11 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is elgg/elgg affected?
Yes, elgg/elgg is affected in releases prior to 1.7.11. Upgrade your dependency to 1.7.11 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2011-2935?
CVE-2011-2935 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2011-2935?
CVE-2011-2935 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2011-2935?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for elgg/elgg'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-mcfm-j5g6-w26f",
  "modified" : "2024-01-12T22:05:22Z",
  "published" : "2022-04-22T00:24:11Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2011-2935" ],
  "summary" : "Elgg Reflected XSS Vulnerability",
  "details" : "### VULNERABILITY DESCRIPTION\nThe `internalname` parameter is not properly sanitized, which allows attacker to conduct Cross Site Scripting attack. This may allow an attacker to create a specially crafted URL that would execute arbitrary script code in a victim's browser\n\n### PROOF-OF-CONCEPT/EXPLOIT\n```http\nhttp://localhost/pg/embed/media?internalname=%20%22onmouseover=%22alert%28/XSS/%29%22style=%22width:3000px!important;height:3000px!important;z-index:999999;position:absolute!important;left:0;top:0;%22%20x=%22\n```",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "elgg/elgg"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.7.11"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.7.10"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-2935"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Elgg/Elgg/issues/3544"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Elgg/Elgg/commit/2843b4f846874d434a2403ac1f27e41035b45e04"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Elgg/Elgg"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://oss-security.openwall.narkive.com/1UH3NYx8/cve-request-elgg-1-7-10-multiple-vulnerabilities"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2011-2935"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20110907122607/http://blog.elgg.org/pg/blog/brett/read/189/elgg-1711-released"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://yehg.net/lab/pr0js/advisories/[elgg_1710]_xss_sqlin"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-01-12T22:05:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-11-12T14:15:00Z"
  }
}