CVE-2007-4830 in DirectAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in CMD_BANDWIDTH_BREAKDOWN in DirectAdmin 1.30.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the user parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4830 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within DirectAdmin version 1.30.2 and earlier installations. This security weakness resides in the CMD_BANDWIDTH_BREAKDOWN command processing functionality, which fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within web responses. The specific parameter affected is the user parameter, which when manipulated by remote attackers can be exploited to inject malicious scripts or HTML content into the application's output. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate validation or sanitization measures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing script code within the user parameter of the bandwidth breakdown request. When the vulnerable DirectAdmin application processes this request and displays the user parameter content without proper HTML escaping or encoding, the injected script executes within the context of other users' browsers who view the affected page. This creates a persistent threat where malicious code can steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the critical importance of implementing proper output encoding mechanisms in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to compromised systems through session hijacking or credential theft. Users who view the bandwidth breakdown page may unknowingly execute malicious scripts that can capture their authentication tokens or perform administrative actions within the DirectAdmin interface. This risk is particularly severe in shared hosting environments where multiple users interact with the same administrative interface, as a single compromised user account could potentially provide attackers with access to all users on that server. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering attacks through malicious content delivery, and T1071.004, which addresses application layer protocol usage for command and control communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the DirectAdmin application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input through proper HTML escaping before rendering it in web responses, specifically targeting the user parameter within the CMD_BANDWIDTH_BREAKDOWN functionality. Organizations should upgrade to DirectAdmin versions 1.30.3 and later, which contain patches addressing this specific vulnerability. Additionally, implementing a comprehensive web application firewall can provide additional protection layers, while regular security audits of web applications should verify proper input validation mechanisms are in place. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the fundamental security principle that all user input must be treated as potentially malicious and validated accordingly, a practice that aligns with industry standards such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.