CVE-2007-5702 in OpenSUSE SWAMP
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in swamp/action/LoginActions (aka the login box) in the Novell OpenSUSE SWAMP Workflow Administration and Management Platform 1.x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the username parameter. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2017
The CVE-2007-5702 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Novell OpenSUSE SWAMP Workflow Administration and Management Platform version 1.x, specifically affecting the login box functionality. This security weakness resides in the swamp/action/LoginActions component where user input validation is insufficiently implemented. The vulnerability manifests when the username parameter is processed without proper sanitization, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code directly into the authentication interface. Such a flaw fundamentally compromises the platform's security posture by enabling unauthorized code execution within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows established XSS attack patterns where attackers craft malicious input containing script tags or other HTML elements that get rendered in the login box interface. When legitimate users interact with the compromised system, their browsers execute the injected malicious code, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw that occurs when untrusted data is improperly handled during web page generation. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it targets the authentication mechanism itself, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to the entire workflow management platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it represents a critical security weakness in the platform's core authentication system. Attackers can leverage this flaw to steal user sessions, capture login credentials, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate within the SWAMP interface. The vulnerability's location within the login box component means that any user attempting to authenticate could be exposed to the malicious payload, creating a persistent threat that affects all platform users. This weakness undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the system's authentication process and could lead to complete compromise of the workflow administration environment, particularly if the platform handles sensitive business processes or confidential data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-5702 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's authentication flow. The platform administrators should immediately apply the vendor-provided security patches or upgrade to newer versions of the SWAMP platform that address this vulnerability. Input sanitization techniques including HTML entity encoding, proper parameter validation, and the implementation of Content Security Policy headers can effectively prevent XSS exploitation. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous login behavior and potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their web applications, following ATT&CK framework guidance for defensive measures against web-based attack vectors. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of secure coding practices and input validation in authentication systems, particularly in enterprise workflow management platforms where security breaches can have significant business impact.