CVE-2007-0477 in Openads
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Openads 2.0.x before 2.0.10, 2.3 before 2.3.31 (aka Max Media Manager before 0.3.31-alpha-pr2), and phpAdsNew/phpPgAds before 2.0.9-pr1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the keyword parameter in admin-search.php and (2) affiliate-search.php. NOTE: this issue may overlap CVE-2007-0363.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-0477 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple ad management systems including Openads 2.0.x versions prior to 2.0.10, Openads 2.3 versions prior to 2.3.31, and phpAdsNew/phpPgAds versions prior to 2.0.9-pr1. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interfaces of these systems, where the keyword parameter in two key files admin-search.php and affiliate-search.php fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within web pages. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML code that executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected pages. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of a server-side injection vulnerability that can be exploited to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized actions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of search parameters in the administrative interface, where attackers can craft malicious payloads that get stored and subsequently executed when legitimate users browse the search results. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can be leveraged to perform session hijacking, deface websites, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious domains. The overlapping nature with CVE-2007-0363 suggests that these systems suffered from similar input validation weaknesses across different components, indicating a systemic design flaw in how user input was handled throughout the application's administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring authentication to the system itself, making it particularly dangerous as it can be used to compromise the administrative interface and potentially gain full control over the ad management platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations relying on these ad management systems, as it creates an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors to compromise the integrity of their advertising infrastructure. When exploited, the vulnerability can lead to unauthorized modification of ad content, redirection of traffic to malicious sites, and potential data exfiltration from the administrative interface. The vulnerability also presents a risk to the broader network ecosystem as compromised administrative accounts can be used to launch further attacks against other systems or to manipulate advertising campaigns for financial gain. Organizations using affected versions must consider the potential for persistent malicious code injection that could remain undetected for extended periods, creating ongoing security risks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of all affected versions to the latest releases that contain proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side validation, with particular attention to parameters used in search functions and administrative interfaces. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts even if input validation fails. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input handling vulnerabilities across the entire application stack. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns targeting these specific parameters, while maintaining detailed logging of administrative search activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection, emphasizing the need for robust application security practices throughout the software development lifecycle.