CVE-2007-4711 in Gästebuch
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Toms Gaestebuch 1.00 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) homepage, (2) mail, and (3) name parameters in a show action to (a) form.php; the (4) language and (5) anzeigebreite parameters to (b) admin/header.php; and the (6) msg parameter to (c) install.php, different vectors than CVE-2006-0706.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-4711 represents a significant security flaw in Toms Gaestebuch version 1.00, a guestbook application that was widely used in web environments during that period. This vulnerability falls under the category of cross-site scripting attacks, which are among the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or complete compromise of user accounts. The vulnerability specifically affects multiple parameters across different files within the application's codebase, indicating a systemic issue in input validation and output sanitization practices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability spans across several distinct files and parameter vectors, each presenting unique attack surfaces. The primary attack vectors include the homepage, mail, and name parameters within the form.php file, where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. Additionally, the admin/header.php file contains vulnerabilities through language and anzeigebreite parameters, while the install.php file presents risks through the msg parameter. These multiple entry points demonstrate how poor security practices can permeate through an entire application, creating cascading vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit regardless of which specific parameter they target. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with persistent access to user sessions and potentially sensitive data. When users visit pages containing malicious scripts, their browsers execute the injected code, which can steal cookies, redirect them to malicious sites, or perform actions on their behalf. The guestbook application context means that these attacks could compromise not only individual user accounts but also the administrative interfaces, potentially allowing full system compromise. The fact that this vulnerability exists in both user-facing forms and administrative components suggests that successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation and complete system takeover. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to establish persistent backdoors, steal administrative credentials, or use the compromised system as a launching point for attacks on other systems within the network.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4711 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. All user-supplied input must be properly sanitized before being processed or displayed, with particular attention to parameters in form.php, admin/header.php, and install.php files. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers should be considered to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, while proper encoding of output data using appropriate escape sequences for HTML, JavaScript, and other contexts can prevent script injection. Organizations should also implement regular security audits and code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. Given that this vulnerability affects an older version of the application, immediate remediation through software updates or patches should be prioritized, as the application is likely to contain additional unpatched vulnerabilities. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts in their web server logs and implement intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation activities targeting these specific parameters. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect web applications from common exploitation vectors.