CVE-2007-0141 in Yet Another Link Directory
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in yald.php in Yet Another Link Directory 1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search parameter.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0141 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Yet Another Link Directory 1.0 web application. This issue specifically affects the yald.php script which serves as the primary interface for handling search functionality within the directory system. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious payloads through the search parameter, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected search results.
This particular XSS vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The attack vector demonstrates how poorly validated user input can be transformed into executable code within the victim's browser environment. The vulnerability exists because the application does not properly escape or encode special characters in the search parameter before rendering it in the HTML output. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other harmful content that executes when other users browse the search results page. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it undermines the fundamental security assurances that users expect from web applications. When exploited, the vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, data exfiltration, and potential compromise of the entire application infrastructure. Users who perform searches within the directory may unknowingly execute malicious code that can persistently compromise their browser sessions. The vulnerability affects not only individual user experiences but also the overall integrity and trustworthiness of the link directory system. Attackers could leverage this flaw to redirect users to phishing sites, steal cookies containing session identifiers, or inject malware payloads that persist across multiple user interactions with the application.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-0141 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input through proper HTML entity encoding before rendering any dynamic content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. The application should also employ proper input validation techniques that reject or filter out potentially harmful characters and patterns. Security practitioners should consider implementing a web application firewall that can detect and block suspicious search parameters before they reach the vulnerable script. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. Organizations should also ensure that the affected version of Yet Another Link Directory is updated to a patched version that addresses this specific XSS vulnerability. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection and T1531 for credential access through session hijacking, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and serves as a reminder of how seemingly simple flaws can have far-reaching security implications in modern web environments.