When uploading an index file via the openCAT admin panel, an attacker can inject malicious code into the file with relative ease. The XSS flaw was reported to the hosting service and patched immediately. Open source CMS projects are inherently vulnerable to attacks from hackers. These projects are designed to be modified by the community, and not one individual. It is critical that project maintainers have the proper patch management policies in place to ensure that their software is kept secure.
Apache 2.0 HSTS Preload Condition
The Apache 2.0 HSTS Preload Condition is a policy that instructs the browser to always preload an HTTP/2 connection before connecting to a website. If your website supports HTTP/2 but visitors cannot reach it, it is possible that they are encountering this condition. To fix this issue, you must upgrade your Apache server from version 2.4 to 2.2 or higher.
Open source CMS: Going back to the basics
Open source CMS projects are inherently vulnerable to attacks from hackers. These projects are designed to be modified by the community, and not one individual. It is critical that project maintainers have the proper patch management policies in place to ensure that their software is kept secure.
One example of a popular open source CMS project is WordPress. A recent vulnerability was discovered in the default install of WordPress 3.5.1, which had been quickly patched before it could cause any damage. This specific vulnerability allowed hackers to inject malicious code into any index file uploaded via the openCAT admin panel, with relative ease and minimal effort. The XSS flaw was reported to the hosting service, who swiftly responded with a patch within 24 hours of discovery and announced it on social media outlets. Open source CMS projects can be a great way for start-ups to establish an authoritative web presence at an affordable price point, but they are not without their share of vulnerabilities nor should they be treated as such.
Build and Deploy Automated Testing Tools
To build a functional, secure CMS project, it is critical that the developers build and deploy automated testing tools to validate the security of new versions. These tools should be made available to the general public for use in testing the software's security. This ensures that the community can report vulnerabilities and issues that may not appear on a cursory review from just one person. This will make sure that vulnerabilities are fixed before they are exploited by hackers or malicious users.
For open source projects, this process can be done through continuous integration where an automated tool continuously builds and tests each project's code base every time a new change is merged. If a change is found to have introduced a vulnerability, it could be as simple as deleting the offending code or changing its context to better secure the project.
Timeline
Published on: 10/19/2022 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/20/2022 05:46:00 UTC