CVE-2007-4861 in SAXON
Summary
by MITRE
SAXON 5.4, with display_errors enabled, allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via (1) a direct request for news.php, (2) an invalid use of a newsid array parameter to admin/edit-item.php, and possibly unspecified vectors related to additional scripts in (3) admin/, (4) rss/, and (5) the root directory of the installation, which reveal the path in various error messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4861 affects SAXON 5.4 content management system where the display_errors PHP configuration directive is enabled. This configuration exposes critical system information through error messages that are generated when the application encounters unexpected conditions or invalid inputs. The flaw represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that can provide attackers with detailed system path information, which serves as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability manifests across multiple entry points within the application's directory structure, specifically targeting administrative scripts and core functionality components.
The technical exploitation occurs through several attack vectors that leverage PHP's error reporting mechanisms. When attackers make direct requests to news.php or manipulate the newsid array parameter in admin/edit-item.php, the application generates error messages containing the full server path where the software is installed. This path disclosure vulnerability stems from the improper handling of user input and the lack of proper error suppression mechanisms within the application's codebase. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects multiple components including administrative interfaces, rss feed handlers, and core application files, creating numerous potential attack surfaces for threat actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical system architecture details that can be leveraged for subsequent attacks. The disclosed paths can reveal the exact location of the web application on the server, including directory structures and file locations that may not be intended for public access. This information can be used to craft more targeted attacks against the application's underlying infrastructure, potentially leading to privilege escalation or further exploitation of related vulnerabilities. The vulnerability affects the entire application ecosystem, including the admin/, rss/, and root directories, indicating a systemic issue with error handling throughout the codebase.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a variant of CWE-200, Information Disclosure, and may also relate to CWE-489, Active Debug Code, depending on the specific error conditions. The attack patterns align with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1212 technique for Exploitation for Credential Access, as path information can be combined with other vulnerabilities to achieve unauthorized access. Organizations should immediately disable display_errors in production environments and implement proper error handling mechanisms that do not expose system information to end users. The recommended mitigations include configuring PHP to log errors to system logs instead of displaying them to users, implementing input validation for all parameters, and ensuring that error messages do not contain sensitive path information. Additionally, regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that proper security configurations are maintained throughout the application lifecycle.