CVE-2007-4741 in Claroline
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin/adminusers.php in Claroline before 1.8.6 allows remote authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the sort 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 • 09/08/2018
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in the Claroline learning management system administration interface, specifically within the adminusers.php file. The flaw affects versions prior to 1.8.6 and represents a critical security weakness that enables authenticated administrators to execute malicious code through web script injection. The vulnerability manifests when the sort parameter is manipulated during administrative user management operations, creating an avenue for persistent cross-site scripting attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the administrative user management module. When administrators interact with the user listing functionality, the system fails to properly escape or filter the sort parameter before rendering it in the web response. This allows an attacker who has already gained administrative privileges to inject malicious JavaScript code that will execute in the context of other administrators' browsers. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which classifies it as a cross-site scripting flaw, specifically a reflected XSS variant that can persist through user interface interactions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that could compromise the entire administrative environment. An attacker could inject malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect administrators to phishing sites, or even execute commands on behalf of the compromised administrator. The fact that this affects authenticated administrators makes it particularly dangerous as it bypasses many standard perimeter security controls. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers scripting through web shells, and T1566 which covers social engineering via malicious web content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching to version 1.8.6 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization across all administrative interfaces, particularly those handling user-provided parameters. Regular security auditing of administrative modules should be conducted to identify similar input validation gaps. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting administrative access to only those users who require it, reducing the attack surface for such vulnerabilities. Additionally, web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious parameter patterns that could indicate XSS attempts, while implementing content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution in administrative contexts.