CVE-2007-5255 in Mini Search Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Google Mini Search Appliance 3.4.14 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the ie parameter to the /search URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2025
The CVE-2007-5255 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in Google Mini Search Appliance version 3.4.14 that poses significant security risks to organizations relying on this search platform. This vulnerability specifically affects the web interface of the appliance where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of other users' sessions. The vulnerability manifests through the ie parameter in the /search URI path, indicating that the issue occurs when the appliance processes search queries that include encoded input parameters. This particular attack vector demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices within the web application framework.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard XSS attack patterns where an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code within the ie parameter and submits it through the search interface. When the appliance processes this input and displays it in the search results or related pages without proper sanitization, the embedded scripts execute in the browser context of unsuspecting users who view the affected search results. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the appliance's response without being stored on the server. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines the weakness of insufficient input validation and improper output encoding in web applications, making it a well-documented and commonly exploited class of security flaw.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-5255 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web pages, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious sites. Organizations using the Google Mini Search Appliance become vulnerable to various attack scenarios including credential theft, data exfiltration, and the potential for establishing persistent access through more sophisticated attack chains. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the appliance or local network privileges to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous for enterprises where the appliance is exposed to untrusted networks. This weakness can significantly compromise the integrity of search results and potentially provide attackers with access to internal search data that may contain sensitive business information or user data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches or updates that address this specific XSS vulnerability in the Google Mini Search Appliance. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters including the ie parameter before processing or displaying them in web responses. Security controls should include implementing Content Security Policy headers, using proper HTML escaping techniques, and ensuring that all dynamic content is properly encoded before being rendered in the browser. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the appliance to untrusted users, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual search patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar issues in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation.