CVE-2007-0550 in 212cafeBoard
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.php in 212cafeBoard 0.08 Beta allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via keyword parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0550 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the 212cafeBoard 0.08 Beta web application. This issue manifests in the search.php script where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to users. The vulnerability specifically affects the keyword parameter which serves as an entry point for malicious script injection. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted input containing malicious javascript code or html tags that get executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view search results. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The attack vector operates through the standard HTTP request mechanism where the malicious payload is submitted as part of the search query parameter and subsequently processed by the vulnerable application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and defacement of the affected web application. When users browse search results containing the malicious payload, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially allowing attackers to steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject additional harmful content. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the critical importance of proper output encoding in web applications. From an operational standpoint, this flaw represents a significant security risk as it allows remote attackers to compromise the application's integrity and user data confidentiality. The impact extends beyond simple script execution to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks such as those classified under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where attackers can leverage the vulnerability to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within the application environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective immediate fix requires sanitizing all user-supplied input in the search.php script before processing or displaying it to users. This includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for output rendering and employing whitelist-based input validation to reject potentially harmful characters or patterns. Security professionals should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to add an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in their web applications. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the fundamental security principle that all user input must be treated as untrusted and properly validated before being processed or displayed. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing to ensure that the implemented fixes do not introduce new functionality issues while effectively neutralizing the XSS vulnerability. This case study exemplifies the critical need for security awareness in web development practices and demonstrates how simple input validation oversights can create significant security exposures that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring privileged access or specialized tools.