CVE-2007-4146 in Webevents
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in webevent.cgi in WebEvent 2.61 through 4.03 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the cmd 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 • 11/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4146 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw located within the webevent.cgi component of WebEvent software versions 2.61 through 4.03. This vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web output, making it a classic example of how user-supplied data can be improperly handled in web applications. The flaw exists in the command parameter processing mechanism where the application fails to properly sanitize or validate input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that contain embedded script code, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected web page.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the cmd parameter within the webevent.cgi script, which serves as an entry point for remote code injection. When an attacker submits malicious input through this parameter, the WebEvent application processes the data without adequate sanitization measures, allowing HTML and JavaScript code to be stored or executed within the victim's browser environment. This particular vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices, where the application assumes that user input is safe and does not properly escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable code. The impact is particularly severe as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with significant privileges to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability affects users of WebEvent versions 2.61 through 4.03, representing a substantial portion of the software's user base at the time of discovery. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers scripting languages, specifically targeting the execution of malicious scripts within web browsers. The attack chain typically involves initial reconnaissance to identify vulnerable systems, crafting of malicious payloads designed to exploit the command parameter, and subsequent execution of these payloads against unsuspecting users. This type of vulnerability also relates to the broader ATT&CK tactic of execution and persistence, as attackers can establish footholds that persist across user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4146 require immediate remediation through software updates and patches provided by the vendor, as well as implementation of defensive coding practices. Organizations should prioritize updating their WebEvent installations to versions that address this vulnerability, as the affected versions are no longer supported and lack security updates. In the interim, defensive measures include implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, specifically employing HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied data that is rendered in web pages. The principle of least privilege should be applied to the web application, ensuring that the webevent.cgi script operates with minimal required permissions and that input parameters are strictly validated against expected formats. Additionally, organizations should deploy web application firewalls and implement content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against XSS attacks. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar input handling flaws in other web applications, as this represents a common pattern in web application security vulnerabilities that should be addressed proactively rather than reactively.