CVE-2007-5806 in ILIAS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Services/Utilities/classes/class.ilUtil.php in ILIAS 3.8.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via attributes inside a domain-name string in the (1) mailing or (2) forum component, as demonstrated using the style and onmouseover HTML attributes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2017
The CVE-2007-5806 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in ILIAS version 3.8.3 and earlier, specifically within the Services/Utilities/classes/class.ilUtil.php file. This vulnerability manifests in the application's handling of user-supplied input within domain-name strings, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code. The flaw exists in the way the system processes attributes within domain-name contexts, particularly affecting the mailing and forum components of the ILIAS learning management system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when attackers manipulate HTML attributes such as style and onmouseover within domain-name strings that are processed by the ilUtil.php class. These attributes are typically used for styling or event handling in web applications, but when improperly sanitized within the ILIAS framework, they become injection points for malicious code execution. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the application fails to properly escape or sanitize user-controllable data before incorporating it into dynamic web content, directly violating security principles established in the OWASP Top Ten and CWE-79.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially steal user sessions, deface web pages, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute unauthorized actions within the context of authenticated users. In the context of an educational platform like ILIAS, this could compromise student and faculty data, disrupt learning activities, and potentially provide attackers with persistent access to the system. The vulnerability affects both mailing and forum components, making it particularly dangerous as it could be exploited across multiple communication channels within the platform.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the ILIAS codebase, particularly within the ilUtil.php class and related components. Security patches should enforce strict validation of domain-name strings and HTML attributes, ensuring that any user-supplied input containing potentially dangerous attributes is properly escaped or removed before processing. Organizations should also implement proper content security policies and consider adopting the principle of least privilege in their security configurations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.005 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on the execution of malicious scripts through web-based interfaces. The remediation efforts should include updating to patched versions of ILIAS, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting comprehensive security reviews of all input handling mechanisms within the application to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting in other components.