CVE-2007-4630 in Absolute Poll Manager XE
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in xlaapmview.asp in Absolute Poll Manager XE 4.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the msg parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2024
The CVE-2007-4630 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Absolute Poll Manager XE 4.1 web application, specifically within the xlaapmview.asp component. This vulnerability resides in the handling of user-supplied input through the msg parameter, creating a dangerous attack vector that enables remote threat actors to execute malicious scripts within the context of legitimate user sessions. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices that has persisted as a critical security weakness in web applications for over a decade.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's inadequate sanitization of the msg parameter, which is processed without proper escaping or validation of special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. When user input containing malicious scripts is submitted through this parameter and subsequently rendered on the web page without appropriate encoding, the browser executes the injected code within the context of the victim's session. This behavior aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities resulting from insufficient input validation and output encoding. The vulnerability allows attackers to craft payloads that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the target environment. An attacker could leverage this flaw to execute persistent XSS attacks that compromise user sessions, potentially leading to unauthorized access to administrative functions or data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects any user who views the affected page, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the poll manager application. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across different user sessions and can be combined with other techniques to escalate privileges or conduct more comprehensive attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4630 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper encoding functions such as HTML entity encoding before rendering content in web pages. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting known XSS vulnerabilities. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.002 for command and scripting interpreter, where attackers can leverage XSS to execute malicious scripts within user browsers. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review to identify similar input handling issues throughout the application, as well as regular security testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future versions.