CVE-2007-1479 in Creative Guestbook
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Guestbook.php in Creative Guestbook 1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an unspecified parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1479 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Creative Guestbook 1.0 web application. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of insecure input handling and represents a significant security risk in web applications. The vulnerability specifically affects the Guestbook.php script, which is part of a guestbook application designed to allow users to leave messages on a website. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input before rendering it within the web page context, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of user-supplied data through an unspecified parameter within the Guestbook.php script. When users submit entries to the guestbook, the application processes these inputs without adequate sanitization measures. This creates a condition where an attacker can craft malicious input containing script code that gets executed when other users view the guestbook entries. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious script is reflected back to users through the web application's response without being stored on the server. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines the weakness of "Cross-site Scripting" as a fundamental web application security flaw that allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute administrative functions within the guestbook application. The reflected nature of this XSS attack means that victims must be tricked into clicking on a specially crafted link containing the malicious payload, making it particularly dangerous in social engineering contexts. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to compromise user sessions, steal cookies, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web application, potentially leading to unauthorized access to user data and system resources. This flaw also violates fundamental web security principles and can be categorized under attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically relating to initial access and execution phases where adversaries establish footholds through web-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the guestbook application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user inputs by removing or encoding potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, script tags, and other HTML entities before processing or displaying the content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. The application should also employ proper output encoding when rendering user-supplied content to ensure that any malicious scripts are rendered harmless. Security patches or updates to the Creative Guestbook application should be applied immediately to address this vulnerability, as the application version 1.0 is likely outdated and may contain additional unpatched security flaws. Organizations should also implement regular security assessments and input validation testing to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in their web applications. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices and input validation in web development, as even minor oversights can lead to significant security breaches that compromise user data and system integrity.