CVE-2007-4717 in Claroline
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Claroline before 1.8.6 allow remote authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) dir parameter in admin/adminusers.php, the (2) action parameter in admin/advancedUserSearch.php, and the (3) view parameter in admin/campusProblem.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2025
The CVE-2007-4717 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Claroline learning management system versions prior to 1.8.6. This vulnerability specifically targets authenticated administrator accounts, creating a significant security risk within educational platform environments where administrative privileges are typically granted to trusted users. The flaw exists in three distinct locations within the administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous as it provides multiple attack vectors for malicious actors who have already gained administrative access. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of proper input validation and output sanitization in web applications, which aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, session hijacking, or further exploitation of the compromised system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through three specific parameters within the Claroline administrative interface. The dir parameter in admin/adminusers.php accepts unvalidated input that can be manipulated to inject malicious scripts, while the action parameter in admin/advancedUserSearch.php presents another injection point for cross-site scripting attacks. The view parameter in admin/campusProblem.php completes the trio of vulnerable entry points, all of which are accessible only to authenticated administrators. These vulnerabilities represent a failure in the principle of least privilege, as the system does not adequately sanitize user inputs before rendering them in web pages. The attack vector requires authentication but not elevated privileges beyond standard administrative access, making it particularly concerning for organizations where administrative accounts may be compromised through social engineering or credential theft attacks. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 - Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage legitimate administrative credentials to perform malicious activities within the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-4717 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to manipulate the administrative interface in ways that compromise the entire learning management system. An attacker with administrative privileges could use these vulnerabilities to redirect users to malicious sites, steal session cookies, or even modify user accounts and system configurations. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate administrative functions but also creates potential for broader exploitation within the educational environment, as administrators often have access to sensitive student and faculty data. Organizations using Claroline versions before 1.8.6 face significant risk of data breaches, unauthorized access to educational resources, and potential compromise of the entire learning platform. The cumulative effect of these three attack vectors means that even if one parameter is properly secured, attackers can still exploit the other vulnerable endpoints, making comprehensive patching essential for effective remediation. This vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation across all user-facing parameters in web applications and demonstrates how seemingly minor security oversights can create significant risks in enterprise environments. The affected versions of Claroline represent a substantial security gap that required immediate attention to prevent exploitation by malicious actors who might be targeting educational institutions for data theft or system compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate patching procedures to upgrade to Claroline 1.8.6 or later versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual parameter patterns in administrative interfaces. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of regular security updates and proper input validation in web applications. Security teams should conduct comprehensive reviews of all administrative interfaces to identify similar vulnerabilities that may exist in other systems. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the patched version to ensure that all three vulnerable parameters are properly sanitized and that the administrative interface functions correctly without compromising security. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls and input validation rules to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The incident underscores the necessity of maintaining current security patches and the potential consequences of running outdated software versions in production environments.