CVE-2007-4831 in TorrentTrader
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in account_settings.php in TorrentTrader 1.07 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) avatar and (2) title parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4831 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the TorrentTrader 1.07 web application's account_settings.php component. This issue affects the application's user profile management functionality where the avatar and title parameters are processed without proper input validation or output encoding. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as stored XSS attacks that can persist in the application's database and affect all users who view the compromised profile information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers submit malicious script code through the avatar and title parameters in the account_settings.php form. When these parameters are stored in the database and subsequently rendered on user profiles or related pages without proper HTML escaping or sanitization, the injected scripts execute in the context of other users' browsers. This creates a persistent threat where malicious code can be executed whenever legitimate users view affected profiles, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization practices and inadequate output encoding mechanisms that are fundamental requirements for preventing XSS attacks according to OWASP Top Ten security guidelines.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-4831 extends beyond simple script injection to potentially compromise the entire user base of the TorrentTrader application. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, deface user profiles, or execute malicious commands on behalf of other users. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that once the malicious payload is injected, it remains active until manually removed from the database, creating a persistent threat vector. This vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in community-driven platforms where user-generated content is displayed, as it can be used to propagate malicious payloads across multiple users and potentially escalate to more serious attacks such as privilege escalation or data exfiltration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4831 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening of the application. The primary fix involves implementing strict input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data, particularly in the avatar and title parameters. This includes sanitizing input through whitelisting of allowed characters, implementing proper HTML escaping when rendering user data, and using Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. The application should also employ proper parameter validation and ensure that all user inputs are properly encoded before being stored in the database and displayed on web pages. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious content delivery, and demonstrates the importance of input validation as outlined in NIST SP 800-163 security guidelines for web application development.