CVE-2020-23657

Vulnerability

NavigateCMS 2.9 is affected by a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the "Configuration" module [1]. An authenticated user can inject arbitrary JavaScript code into configuration fields; the code is not properly sanitized and is stored in the database, then rendered unsafely in several admin panel pages (e.g., navigate.php?fid=users, profiles, menus, functions, backups). The vulnerability exists because input is insufficiently filtered or encoded before being stored and later reflected back to other administrators [1].

Exploitation

An attacker requires a valid authenticated session in the NavigateCMS administration panel [1]. After logging in, the attacker navigates to the Configuration module and creates a new configuration entry. The payload is inserted into the configuration field using a crafted input such as '><details/open/ontoggle=confirm(1337)> [1]. Once saved, any administrative user who visits one of the affected pages will trigger the arbitrary JavaScript execution [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim's administrator session. This can lead to theft of cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive data; defacement of the admin interface; or further malicious actions performed on behalf of the victim administrator [1]. The XSS is stored, so the payload persists and affects all subsequent visitors to the compromised pages [1].

Mitigation

As of the latest available references, no official patch has been released for NavigateCMS 2.9 to address this vulnerability [1]. Administrators should restrict access to the admin panel to trusted users only, regularly audit configuration inputs, and consider applying manual input sanitization or escaping as a workaround until an update is provided [1].