CVE-2007-0384 in PostNuke
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in preview in the reviews section in PostNuke 0.764 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0384 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered within the PostNuke content management system version 0.764. This vulnerability specifically affects the preview functionality within the reviews section, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent XSS threat means that malicious scripts can be stored on the server and executed whenever affected pages are accessed, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further attacks. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack surface may encompass multiple input points within the review preview mechanism, making the vulnerability particularly challenging to fully assess and mitigate.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when users navigate to the reviews section and interact with the preview feature, which processes user input without sufficient sanitization measures. Attackers can craft malicious payloads containing javascript code or html elements that get executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected content. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines the weakness of Cross-site Scripting as a result of insufficient input validation and output filtering. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, allowing malicious actors to bypass normal security restrictions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution, as it can potentially enable session hijacking, credential theft, and the redirection of users to malicious websites, making it a significant threat to web application security.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations using PostNuke 0.764 for content management, particularly those with user-generated content features. The preview functionality in the reviews section is a common user interaction point, making the attack surface accessible to a wide range of potential threat actors. The persistence of the vulnerability means that once exploited, malicious scripts can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated attacks. The vulnerability's presence in a content management system indicates potential exposure of sensitive user data and could facilitate more sophisticated attacks such as those categorized under the attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically those related to credential access and execution through web application vulnerabilities. Organizations may experience reputational damage, data breaches, and compliance violations if this vulnerability is exploited successfully.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-0384 should prioritize immediate patching of the PostNuke 0.764 installation to the latest available version that addresses this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, particularly for all user-supplied content that gets rendered in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against script execution. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious user input patterns and anomalous behavior in the reviews section. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices as recommended by industry standards including OWASP Top Ten and the CWE guidelines. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to provide additional protection against exploitation attempts.