CVE-2007-0183 in ONE
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in /search in iPlanet Web Server 4.x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the NS-max-records parameter. NOTE: The provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0183 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the iPlanet Web Server version 4.x series, specifically affecting the search functionality component. This weakness exists in the handling of the NS-max-records parameter within the /search endpoint, creating a significant security risk that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into web responses.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code within the NS-max-records parameter and submits it through the search interface. The web server processes this input without adequate sanitization, subsequently embedding the malicious content directly into the HTML response sent to the victim's browser. This allows the attacker's script to execute in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the server's response without being stored on the server.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the integrity of user sessions and can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that iPlanet Web Server 4.x was widely deployed in enterprise environments, potentially affecting numerous organizations that relied on this platform for web services. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target users from anywhere on the internet without requiring local access to the affected system. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent vulnerabilities in web applications.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed in web responses. This includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for any data that will be rendered in HTML contexts. The principle of least privilege should be applied to web server configurations, and regular security updates should be implemented to address known vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables attackers to execute malicious javascript code within victim browsers. The vulnerability also relates to T1566.001: Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could use this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through phishing campaigns targeting the affected web application. Organizations should also consider implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) that can detect and block malicious payloads targeting known XSS patterns, providing an additional defensive layer against this type of attack vector.