CVE-2007-3918 in GForge
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in account/verify.php in GForge 4.6b2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the confirm_hash parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3918 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the GForge 4.6b2 web application platform, specifically affecting the account/verify.php component. This issue falls under the well-established CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which fundamentally occurs when an application fails to properly validate or sanitize user input before incorporating it into web pages served to other users. The vulnerability manifests through the confirm_hash parameter, which is processed during the account verification workflow, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can exploit the lack of input sanitization to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing crafted script code within the confirm_hash parameter and delivers it to a victim user. When the victim clicks the link and the account/verify.php script processes the parameter without proper sanitization, the injected code executes within the victim's browser context. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it occurs during the account verification process, a legitimate user interaction point that users are likely to trust and click without suspicion.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that align with ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1059 for command and control through malicious code execution, and T1531 for account access through credential theft. Attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent access to user accounts, manipulate application behavior, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the application's user data, potentially compromising entire user sessions and undermining the trust users place in the platform's security mechanisms. Organizations using GForge 4.6b2 are particularly vulnerable because the flaw exists in core authentication functionality, making it a high-value target for attackers seeking to compromise user accounts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The most effective immediate fix involves sanitizing all user-provided input, particularly parameters used in authentication and verification workflows, through proper HTML entity encoding or validation against known safe character sets. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities and consider implementing proper session management controls to detect and prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, regular security audits and input validation reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this flaw demonstrates the critical importance of sanitizing all user interactions in web applications. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the fundamental security principle that all user input must be treated as untrusted and properly validated before being processed or displayed in web contexts.