CVE-2008-0700 in CruxCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.php in Crux Software CruxCMS 3.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search parameter. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0700 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within Crux Software CruxCMS version 3.0, specifically affecting the search.php script. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which classifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a critical security weakness. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input received through the search parameter, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the search.php script processes user-supplied search terms without adequate validation or encoding mechanisms. When a user submits a search query containing malicious script code, the application stores or displays this input without proper sanitization, creating an environment where the injected code executes in the victim's browser. This allows attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates entirely on the client-side, making it difficult to detect and prevent without proper input validation.
From an operational impact perspective, this XSS vulnerability compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the CMS environment. Attackers can exploit this weakness to steal session cookies, potentially gaining unauthorized administrative access to the CMS, or to deface the website by injecting malicious content that appears legitimate to end users. The vulnerability affects all users who interact with the search functionality, making it a widespread security concern that can impact the entire user base of the affected website. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it a common target for automated attacks and script kiddies.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user input through proper encoding before processing or displaying it within the application context, specifically implementing HTML entity encoding for the search parameter. Additionally, developers should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. The recommended remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts in user browsers. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their web applications, as this type of flaw often indicates broader input validation weaknesses that may exist elsewhere in the codebase.