CVE-2008-0642 in RoboHelp
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in files created by Adobe RoboHelp 6 and 7, possibly involving use of a (1) WebHelp5 (WebHelp5Ext) or (2) WildFire (WildFireExt) extension, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2007-1280.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0642 represents a cross-site scripting flaw affecting Adobe RoboHelp 6 and 7 software products, specifically within their WebHelp5Ext and WildFireExt extensions. This security weakness falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where improperly sanitized user input is directly incorporated into web pages served to end users without adequate validation or encoding measures. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects documentation generation tools that are widely used in enterprise environments for creating help systems and user manuals, creating potential attack vectors through seemingly benign documentation files.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the way Adobe RoboHelp processes and renders content when generating web-based help systems. When using either the WebHelp5Ext or WildFireExt extensions, the software fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data that gets embedded into the generated HTML output. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input that, when processed by the RoboHelp software, gets injected directly into the web pages without proper HTML encoding or script sanitization. This allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other malicious content that executes in the context of the victim's browser when they view the affected documentation pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-0642 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, defacement of documentation portals, or redirect users to malicious websites. In enterprise environments where RoboHelp is extensively used for creating internal documentation systems, this vulnerability could enable attackers to compromise user sessions within the documentation environment, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information. The attack vectors are particularly insidious because they exploit the trust relationship between users and documentation systems, where users expect help files to be safe and benign. This vulnerability also demonstrates the broader security implications of content management systems and documentation generators that do not adequately validate or sanitize input data before rendering it in web contexts.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense against this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected RoboHelp versions and ensuring that all generated documentation files undergo proper input validation. Security measures should include implementing content security policies that restrict script execution in documentation portals, using web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious payloads, and conducting regular security assessments of generated documentation systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input sanitization practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security framework and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for data from information repositories, emphasizing the need for proper validation of all user inputs in web-based documentation systems. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing least privilege access controls for documentation generation systems and regularly audit generated content for potential malicious injections to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.