Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Mahara, which can be exploited by malicious users to conduct script insertion attacks and by malicious people to conduct click-jacking, cross-site scripting and request forgery attacks, and disclose potentially sensitive information.

1) Certain input related to CSV uploads is not properly sanitised before being returned to the user. This can be exploited to execute arbitrary HTML and script code in a user's browser session in context of an affected site.

2) An error exists due to the application not properly sanitising the content of uploaded XHTML files. This can be exploited to insert arbitrary HTML and script code, which will be executed in a user's browser session in context of an affected site when the malicious data is being viewed.

3) An error exists due to the application not properly sanitising the content of uploaded SVG files. This can be exploited to insert arbitrary HTML and script code, which will be executed in a user's browser session in context of an affected site when the malicious data is being viewed.

4) A click-jacking error can be exploited to trick a user into performing unintended actions.

5) The application allows users to perform certain actions via HTTP requests without performing any validity checks to verify the requests. This can be exploited to e.g. change certain configuration options if a logged-in administrative user visits a malicious web site.

The vulnerabilities #1 through #5 are reported in versions prior to 1.4.5 and 1.5.4.

6) An error when parsing external XML entities can be exploited to e.g. disclose local files.

This vulnerability is reported in versions prior to 1.4.4 and 1.5.3.

Solution
Update to version 1.4.5 or 1.5.4.

Provided and/or discovered by
1, 3) Reported by the vendor
2, 5) Mike via bug tickets
4) Ajay via bug tickets
6) The vendor credits Mike Haworth.

Changelog
Further details available to Secunia VIM customers

Original Advisory
https://launchpad.net/mahara/1.4/1.4.5
https://launchpad.net/mahara/1.4/1.4.4
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1055232
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1057240
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1061980
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1063480
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1047111

Deep Links
Links available to Secunia VIM customers