This article is a part of our Vulnerability Database (back to index)
Cross-site Scripting occurrences in Mailman
In GNU Mailman before 2.1.36, a crafted URL to the Cgi/options.py user options page can execute arbitrary JavaScript for XSS. (2021-11-12, CVE-2021-43331)
GNU Mailman 2.x before 2.1.30 uses the .obj extension for scrubbed application/octet-stream MIME parts. This behavior may contribute to XSS attacks against list-archive visitors, because an HTTP reply from an archive web server may lack a MIME type, and a web browser may perform MIME sniffing, conclude that the MIME type should have been text/html, and execute JavaScript code. (2020-04-24, CVE-2020-12137)
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in Mailman 2.1.26 and earlier allows remote authenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors. (2018-07-26, CVE-2018-0618)
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web UI in Mailman before 2.1.26 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a user-options URL. (2018-01-23, CVE-2018-5950)
Why Cross-site Scripting can be dangerous
Cross site scripting is an attack where a web page executes code that is injected by an adversary. It usually appears, when users input is presented. This attack can be used to impersonate a user, take over control of the session, or even steal API keys.
The attack can be executed e.g. when you application injects the request parameter directly into the HTML code of the page returned to the user:
https://server.com/confirmation?message=Transaction+Complete
what results in:
<span>Confirmation: Transaction Complete</span>
In that case the message can be modified to become a valid Javascript code, e.g.:
https://server.com/confirmation?message=<script>dangerous javascript code here</script>
and it will be executed locally by the user's browser with full access to the user's personal application/browser data:
<span>Confirmation: <script>dangerous javascript code here</script></span>