Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-11117 is a cross-site scripting issue in ILIAS external feed item handling. A crafted link attribute in feed content could cause script to run in a user’s browser when viewed through a vulnerable ILIAS instance. The source bundle names ILIAS 5.1.x, 5.2.x, and 5.3.x before 5.3.5.
Executive priority
Treat as a normal-priority web application security fix unless vulnerable ILIAS instances are internet-facing or feed content is externally controlled. The absence of CVSS and KEV evidence lowers urgency, but XSS can still affect users and sessions.
Technical view
The vulnerability is in Services/Feeds/classes/class.ilExternalFeedItem.php and involves insufficient handling of a link attribute, resulting in XSS. The public record indicates the issue was corrected before ILIAS 5.3.5, with a referenced upstream commit. No CVSS, CWE, or detailed exploit conditions are provided in the bundle.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to organizations running affected ILIAS versions and using or displaying external feed items. Instances already upgraded to ILIAS 5.3.5 or a later supported release are not indicated as affected by the supplied sources.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Public information is sparse: it identifies XSS via a link attribute but does not provide exploit maturity, required privileges, or user-interaction details.
Researcher notes
The evidence supports affected version ranges, vulnerable file path, vulnerability class, and a fix reference. It does not support claims about active exploitation, exploit prerequisites, authentication requirements, or complete impact scope. Further validation should rely on vendor release notes and deployed source comparison.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected ILIAS installations to 5.3.5 or a later supported release.
- Review the referenced upstream commit and vendor notice for branch-specific guidance.
- Limit trusted sources for external feeds until vulnerable versions are retired.
- Monitor vendor security channels for any additional backported fixes or operational guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory ILIAS versions across production, staging, and legacy systems.
- Confirm no instance runs ILIAS 5.1.x, 5.2.x, or 5.3.x before 5.3.5.
- Review whether external feed functionality is enabled or exposed to untrusted content.
- Check change records for deployment of the referenced upstream fix or later release.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2018-11117 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.ilias.de/docu/goto.php?target=st_229CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/ILIAS-eLearning/ILIAS/commit/ff9bf29858f2dbffe828711a6f8bf37038c00d77CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.