CVE-2007-3218 in PHP Live
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in request.php in PHP Live! 3.2.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the pagex parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3218 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the PHP Live! web application version 3.2.2 and earlier. This issue resides in the request.php script and specifically targets the pagex parameter, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter or escape user-supplied data before it is processed and rendered within the application's response.
From a technical perspective, the flaw manifests when the pagex parameter is passed to request.php without proper sanitization of special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows attackers to embed malicious payloads that execute in the browser context of unsuspecting users who view the affected page. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious script is reflected back to the user through the application's response without being stored on the server. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through various vectors including email links, web forms, or direct URL manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious websites, or even modify the content displayed to users. In the context of PHP Live! which is a customer support and live chat application, this vulnerability could allow attackers to access user sessions, view private conversations, inject false information, or potentially escalate privileges within the application. The reflected nature of the attack means that users must be tricked into clicking on a malicious link that contains the crafted payload, making social engineering a critical component of exploitation. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics used to gain initial access through phishing or malicious links.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-3218 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user inputs, particularly parameters like pagex, by removing or escaping special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. Implementing proper HTML entity encoding of output data ensures that any potentially malicious content is rendered harmless when displayed to users. Additionally, developers should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to prevent unauthorized script execution and establish proper input validation routines that reject or sanitize suspicious input patterns. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and should be addressed through comprehensive security code reviews and regular vulnerability assessments. Organizations using PHP Live! should immediately upgrade to version 3.2.3 or later where this vulnerability has been patched, as the original version lacks proper input sanitization mechanisms that would prevent such attacks from succeeding.