CVE-2007-3330 in EasyNews
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in STphp EasyNews PRO 4.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a news post, which is stored in news/ without sanitization.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3330 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within STphp EasyNews PRO version 4.0, a web-based news management system that was widely deployed in 2007. This vulnerability resides in the news posting functionality where user-submitted content is processed and stored in the news/ directory without proper input sanitization measures. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code directly into news posts that are subsequently rendered to other users visiting the affected website. This represents a classic server-side XSS vulnerability where the application fails to validate or escape user-provided input before storing and displaying it, creating an environment where persistent malicious code execution becomes possible.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate data validation and sanitization practices within the STphp EasyNews PRO application. When users create or modify news posts through the web interface, the system accepts raw HTML content without filtering or escaping special characters that could be interpreted as executable script code. This processing occurs in the news/ directory where posts are stored and subsequently retrieved for display, making the vulnerability persistent rather than reflected. The lack of proper input sanitization creates a condition where attackers can embed malicious payloads such as javascript code, iframe elements, or other HTML constructs that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the compromised news posts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise entire user sessions and facilitate further exploitation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, inject phishing content, or execute arbitrary commands on victim machines through browser-based attacks. The persistent nature of the stored XSS vulnerability means that the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the database, potentially affecting thousands of users over extended periods. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and represents a significant security gap in the application's input validation mechanisms that violates fundamental web security principles.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability falls within the ATT&CK framework under the T1566 technique category for "Phishing" and T1059 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as it enables attackers to deliver malicious payloads through compromised web interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates poor security hygiene in input handling and data sanitization practices that were common in web applications of that era, particularly highlighting the importance of implementing proper content security policies and input validation at multiple layers of application processing. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement proper HTML escaping, input sanitization, and content security policies to prevent exploitation, while also considering the broader implications of legacy web application security vulnerabilities that may exist in similar systems. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for regular security assessments and the implementation of secure coding practices that prevent such fundamental flaws from being introduced into web applications during the development lifecycle.