CVE-2007-3685 in Unobtrusive Ajax Star Rating Bar
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in rpc.php in Unobtrusive Ajax Star Rating Bar before 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the q parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3685 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Unobtrusive Ajax Star Rating Bar plugin, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.2.0. This issue resides in the rpc.php file which serves as a critical component for handling asynchronous requests within the plugin's ajax functionality. The vulnerability manifests when user-supplied input from the q parameter is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed and returned to the browser. This allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected web page.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is embedded into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The q parameter acts as the attack vector, accepting user input that flows directly into the output without appropriate sanitization measures. When an attacker crafts a malicious payload and submits it through this parameter, the vulnerable application fails to escape or validate the input, enabling the execution of malicious scripts in the victim's browser context. This creates a persistent security risk where any user interacting with the affected web page becomes a potential victim of the injected code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of web applications that utilize this plugin, as it allows unauthorized users to manipulate the content displayed to legitimate users. Attackers can exploit this flaw to steal cookies, modify page content, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) attacks that leverage the compromised session. The persistent nature of XSS vulnerabilities means that once exploited, the malicious code continues to execute for all users who access the affected page until the vulnerability is patched.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input, particularly the q parameter, by applying strict validation rules that reject or escape potentially dangerous characters. The plugin should implement proper HTML encoding of all output data to prevent script execution in browser contexts. Additionally, developers should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to add an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. Organizations using this plugin should immediately upgrade to version 1.2.0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. The remediation process should also include regular security audits of web applications to identify and address similar input validation issues that may exist in other components of the system. Security practitioners should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit XSS vulnerabilities, while also ensuring that all web applications follow secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for preventing cross-site scripting attacks.