CVE-2007-4175 in OpenRat CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in OpenRat CMS 0.8-beta1 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) subaction and (2) action parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/28/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4175 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within OpenRat CMS version 0.8-beta1 and earlier releases. This vulnerability resides in the index.php file and affects the application's handling of user input through specific parameters. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft. The vulnerability specifically impacts the subaction and action parameters, which are commonly used in content management systems for navigation and administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the OpenRat CMS framework. When user-provided data enters the application through the subaction and action parameters, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape this input before rendering it in web pages. This lack of proper input filtering creates an environment where malicious actors can inject HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browser. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, where untrusted data is improperly handled during web page generation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing OpenRat CMS. Attackers can exploit these XSS flaws to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious websites, or perform unauthorized administrative actions on behalf of legitimate users. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to establish persistent access to the CMS, modify content, or even compromise the entire web application infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access or local network privileges to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in public-facing web applications.
The exploitation of CVE-2007-4175 aligns with several techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under the T1566 category for initial access through malicious web content. The vulnerability enables attackers to create persistent threats by injecting malicious scripts that can be executed whenever affected pages are loaded. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive input validation mechanisms, output encoding, and the principle of least privilege when addressing this vulnerability. The recommended mitigations include immediate patching to the latest stable version of OpenRat CMS, implementation of web application firewalls, and regular security assessments of web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding practices that emphasize input validation and output sanitization to prevent similar issues in future implementations.