CVE-2007-5985 in Bti-tracker
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in BtiTracker before 1.4.5 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors to (1) account.php, (2) moresmiles.php, or (3) recover.php; or (4) the "to" parameter to usercp.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/11/2018
The CVE-2007-5985 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting BtiTracker versions prior to 1.4.5, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and output sanitization within web applications. This vulnerability exposes multiple attack vectors across different PHP scripts including account.php, moresmiles.php, recover.php, and specifically the "to" parameter in usercp.php, creating a broad surface for exploitation. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of how insufficient sanitization of user-provided data can lead to persistent security weaknesses. The affected scripts represent core functionality areas including user account management, password recovery, and user control panel operations, indicating that attackers could potentially compromise user sessions and access sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers can inject malicious scripts or HTML code through unspecified input vectors that are not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of a victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects multiple entry points within the application, suggesting that the developers failed to implement consistent input validation mechanisms across all user-facing scripts. The presence of XSS vulnerabilities in account management and recovery scripts is particularly concerning as these areas typically handle sensitive user information and authentication processes. The specific targeting of usercp.php's "to" parameter indicates that the application's user control panel functionality was not adequately protected against malicious input injection.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-5985 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting through session hijacking or phishing attempts that exploit the compromised user contexts. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to create persistent backdoors within the application, manipulate user data, or escalate privileges within the system. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of malicious code injection to gain unauthorized access. The widespread nature of the affected files suggests that an attacker could compromise multiple user accounts simultaneously, potentially leading to data breaches or unauthorized access to sensitive system information. Organizations using affected versions of BtiTracker would face significant risks including potential regulatory compliance violations and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-5985 should prioritize immediate patching to version 1.4.5 or later, which would address the underlying input validation deficiencies. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization mechanisms including proper HTML escaping, parameter validation, and output encoding across all user-facing scripts. The remediation efforts should align with OWASP Top Ten security practices, specifically focusing on preventing XSS vulnerabilities through consistent application of secure coding principles. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security audits would provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of defensive programming practices and the need for continuous security testing to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in web applications. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to ensure that input validation mechanisms are consistently applied throughout the application lifecycle.