CVE-2004-2028 in e107
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in stats.php in e107 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the referer parameter to log.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2028 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw that existed within the e107 content management system version 0.7.2 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the stats.php file and specifically affects the logging functionality through the referer parameter in the log.php component. The vulnerability enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, creating a significant risk for website administrators and visitors alike. The flaw demonstrates the dangerous nature of improper input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly when handling user-supplied data that flows through server-side processing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the failure to properly sanitize or escape user input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. When the referer parameter is processed by log.php and subsequently passed to stats.php, the application does not adequately filter or encode the input data, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where the application fails to validate or escape user-controllable data before including it in dynamically generated web content. The attack vector exploits the trust relationship between the web application and its users, leveraging the application's own processing capabilities to execute unauthorized code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly across different sessions and user interactions. Attackers can craft malicious referer headers that contain script tags or other HTML content, which when processed by the vulnerable e107 system, get executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who visit pages that trigger the logging mechanism. This creates a potential for session hijacking, credential theft, and the delivery of malware through drive-by downloads. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through legitimate web traffic patterns, making it difficult to detect and prevent without proper input validation measures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding practices throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied data, particularly parameters that flow through web requests and are subsequently used in dynamic content generation. Organizations should implement proper HTML escaping routines for all output that incorporates user input, ensuring that special characters are properly encoded to prevent their interpretation as executable code. Additionally, the application should enforce strict input validation on the referer parameter, rejecting or filtering out potentially malicious content before it can be processed. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review to identify similar patterns and ensure that all user-controllable inputs are properly validated and sanitized before being incorporated into web page content.