CVE-2007-4052 in nukedit
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in utilities/login.asp in nukedit 4.9.7 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the email parameter. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4052 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the nukedit content management system version 4.9.7 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the utilities/login.asp component where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed and rendered back to users. The specific attack vector involves the email parameter which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the application's response. The vulnerability's classification as XSS (CWE-79) indicates that it allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising user sessions and accessing sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the login utility. When users enter email addresses during the login process, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This lack of proper sanitization creates an environment where attackers can craft malicious payloads that execute within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects a core authentication component, meaning that any user attempting to log in could be exposed to malicious script execution. The attack requires no special privileges and can be executed remotely, making it highly exploitable in real-world scenarios.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using nukedit 4.9.7 or earlier versions. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even harvest sensitive information submitted through the login form. The vulnerability aligns with attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 sub-technique for scripting and T1531 for credential access through web application vulnerabilities. Organizations may face reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and potential data breaches if this vulnerability remains unpatched. The impact extends beyond immediate security concerns to include business continuity and user trust implications.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate patching of the nukedit application to version 5.0 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in other components. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security assessments can help identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious patterns in login attempts that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against common web application vulnerabilities. Security teams should conduct comprehensive reviews of all web applications to identify similar input validation gaps that could lead to XSS vulnerabilities.