CVE-2007-5013 in Phormer
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in Phormer 3.31 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) u, (2) p, (3) c, and (4) s parameters, and other unspecified vectors. 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 • 09/02/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5013 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Phormer version 3.31, specifically within the index.php script. This vulnerability falls under the category of persistent and reflected XSS attacks, where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into web applications that fail to properly validate and sanitize user input. The affected parameters u, p, c, and s in the index.php file serve as primary attack vectors, allowing remote threat actors to execute malicious code within the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when user-supplied input is directly incorporated into web page output without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. Attackers can craft malicious payloads targeting these four parameters to inject scripts that execute in the victim's browser environment, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that additional attack surfaces may exist beyond the four identified parameters, indicating a broader input validation failure within the application's processing logic. This type of vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the application's data handling procedures and represents a classic example of improper input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-5013 extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. Once exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate user sessions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information or performing actions on behalf of authenticated users. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system. The vulnerability's presence in a widely used content management or web application framework could affect multiple installations, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such applications are commonly deployed. This type of vulnerability is frequently mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes the use of malicious input to compromise web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective remediation involves implementing strict parameter validation for all user inputs, including the four identified parameters u, p, c, and s, while also addressing the unspecified vectors. Application developers should employ proper HTML encoding when displaying user-supplied content, utilize secure coding practices, and implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. The vulnerability's age and the lack of specific provenance information suggest that organizations using Phormer 3.31 should consider immediate migration to supported versions or implementation of web application firewalls to protect against exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could lead to comparable vulnerabilities in other application components.