CVE-2007-2579 in ACP3
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ACP3 4.0 beta 3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the form[mail] parameter to contact/contact/index.php; the (2) form[mods][] or (3) form[search_term] parameter to search/list/action_search/index.php; (4) the id parameter to modules/dl/download.php; (5) the form[cat] parameter to news/list/index.php; the (6) form[cat], (7) form[name], or (8) form[message] parameter to certain news/details/id_*/action_create/index.php files; or (9) the form[mail] parameter to newsletter/create/index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2579 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting ACP3 version 4.0 beta 3, exposing multiple entry points where remote attackers can inject malicious web scripts or HTML content. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically targeting web applications that fail to properly validate and sanitize user input before processing and rendering it within web pages. The affected application framework demonstrates insufficient input validation mechanisms across several modules, creating a wide attack surface for malicious actors seeking to exploit user sessions and compromise web application integrity.
Multiple attack vectors exist within this vulnerability, each targeting different components of the ACP3 application framework. The primary attack paths include the contact/contact/index.php endpoint where the form[mail] parameter can be manipulated to inject malicious scripts, followed by search/list/action_search/index.php which accepts malicious input through form[mods][] and form[search_term] parameters. Additional vulnerable endpoints include modules/dl/download.php with the id parameter, news/list/index.php with the form[cat] parameter, news/details/id_*/action_create/index.php which accepts malicious input through form[cat], form[name], and form[message] parameters, and newsletter/create/index.php with the form[mail] parameter. These diverse attack vectors indicate a systemic lack of input sanitization throughout the application's codebase, suggesting that the development team failed to implement consistent security controls across all user input handling mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of authenticated user sessions. This creates opportunities for session hijacking, credential theft, and potential privilege escalation attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing via Social Engineering) and T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript), as attackers can leverage these XSS flaws to deliver malicious JavaScript payloads that can harvest user credentials or redirect victims to malicious sites. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is particularly concerning given that it affects core application functionality including contact forms, search capabilities, file downloads, news modules, and newsletter systems, all of which are commonly used by legitimate users.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach includes implementing strict input validation using allowlists for all user-supplied parameters, applying proper HTML encoding to all dynamic content before rendering, and implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Security controls should be implemented at multiple layers including application-level input sanitization, database-level query parameterization, and web application firewall rules to detect and block malicious input patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing regular security code reviews, automated vulnerability scanning, and employee training on secure coding practices to prevent similar issues in future application development cycles. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of defense-in-depth security measures and the necessity of implementing consistent security controls across all application components rather than relying on isolated security patches.