CVE-2007-6388 in HTTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mod_status in the Apache HTTP Server 2.2.0 through 2.2.6, 2.0.35 through 2.0.61, and 1.3.2 through 1.3.39, when the server-status page is enabled, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6388 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Apache HTTP Server's mod_status module, affecting multiple versions across the 1.x, 2.0.x, and 2.2.x release series. This security weakness specifically manifests when the server-status page functionality is enabled, creating an attack surface that remote adversaries can exploit to inject malicious scripts into web browsers. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security flaw that allows attackers to execute scripts in the context of other users. The mod_status module serves as a diagnostic tool for administrators to monitor server performance and status information, but when enabled in production environments, it becomes a potential vector for malicious code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified attack vectors that leverage the server-status page's handling of user-supplied input. When administrators enable the server-status page for monitoring purposes, the module fails to properly sanitize or encode input parameters that are displayed in the status output. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that, when executed in a victim's browser, can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing arbitrary commands within the browser context. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as the attack can be mounted against any user who accesses the server-status page, regardless of their authentication status. The flaw essentially bypasses the normal security boundaries that protect against client-side attacks, allowing untrusted input to be rendered directly in the browser without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-6388 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the context of the compromised web application. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking by stealing authentication tokens, redirect users to phishing sites, or even create persistent backdoors through the injection of malicious JavaScript code. The attack surface is particularly concerning for organizations that maintain server-status pages in production environments, as these pages often contain sensitive information about server configuration, active connections, and performance metrics that can aid in further attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers can use the XSS to establish further compromise chains. The vulnerability also aligns with the broader category of T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) as it provides unauthorized access to server status information that can be used for reconnaissance purposes.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the server-status page in production environments when not actively needed, or ensuring that proper input validation and output encoding is implemented for any user-supplied parameters that might be displayed in the status page. The recommended approach involves configuring Apache to restrict access to the server-status page through authentication mechanisms or IP-based restrictions, thereby limiting exposure to authorized personnel only. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, and regular security audits should verify that mod_status is not enabled in production environments where it could be exploited. The vulnerability highlights the importance of principle of least privilege in web server configuration, where diagnostic tools should be restricted to authorized administrators only. From a compliance standpoint, this vulnerability would likely violate security standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001, as it represents an uncontrolled access point that could lead to unauthorized data exposure or system compromise.