CVE-2007-0362 in FreshReader
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the RSS feed component in FreshReader before 1.0.07010600 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, possibly related to tag attributes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0362 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the RSS feed component of FreshReader version 1.0.07010600 and earlier. This security weakness falls under the broader category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into web content. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user.
The technical flaw manifests in the RSS feed processing functionality where the application fails to adequately sanitize or escape user-provided data before rendering it within web pages. While the exact attack vectors remain unspecified in the original description, the vulnerability appears to be particularly associated with tag attributes within RSS feed content, suggesting that malformed or maliciously crafted XML attributes could trigger the XSS condition. This type of vulnerability is classified under the ATT&CK framework as T1566.001 Initial Access: Spearphishing Attachment, where attackers might exploit such flaws through malicious RSS feeds or content that users subscribe to.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for any organization or individual using FreshReader as their RSS feed aggregator. Attackers could craft malicious RSS feeds containing embedded scripts that would execute whenever a user views the feed within the vulnerable application. This could result in unauthorized access to user sessions, data exfiltration, or the delivery of malicious payloads to users' browsers. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because RSS feeds are often automatically fetched and displayed without user intervention, making it easy for attackers to compromise users without their knowledge or consent.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through the application of the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to version 1.0.07010600 or later. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding techniques can help prevent similar issues in other applications. Organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts, and network administrators should monitor for suspicious RSS feed content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization in web applications, particularly those handling external data feeds, and aligns with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework for preventing injection attacks and maintaining web application security.