CVE-2008-0723 in mynews
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mynews.inc.php in MyNews 1.6.4, and other earlier 1.6.x versions, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the hash parameter in an admin action to index.php, a different vulnerability than CVE-2006-2208.1.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0723 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the MyNews content management system version 1.6.4 and earlier releases in the 1.6.x series. This security weakness specifically manifests in the mynews.inc.php component where user-supplied input from the hash parameter is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed in administrative actions directed to index.php. The vulnerability operates by allowing remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into the application's response, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited across multiple user sessions. This flaw falls under the broader category of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input that gets reflected back to users through web pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing script code and passes it through the hash parameter in administrative requests to the index.php endpoint. When the MyNews application processes this input without adequate sanitization, the injected code gets executed within the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability is distinct from CVE-2006-2208, indicating a separate code path or implementation flaw that requires specific attention. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, making it particularly dangerous as legitimate users may unknowingly execute malicious code when interacting with compromised pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges within the administrative interface of the MyNews system. An attacker could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions, modify content, delete data, or even establish persistent backdoors within the compromised system. The vulnerability affects not only individual user sessions but can also compromise the integrity of the entire web application, as reflected in the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. Organizations using affected versions of MyNews face significant risk of data compromise, service disruption, and potential regulatory violations if sensitive information is exposed through these script injection attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-0723 require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the MyNews application codebase. The recommended approach involves implementing strict sanitization of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in administrative contexts, and applying proper HTML encoding to any dynamic content before rendering in web pages. Organizations should upgrade to the latest available version of MyNews that contains patches addressing this vulnerability, while also implementing web application firewalls and input validation rules to prevent malicious payloads from reaching the vulnerable code paths. The security controls should align with NIST SP 800-53 requirements for input validation and output encoding, ensuring that all user inputs are properly validated against expected formats and that output is encoded appropriately for the context in which it is rendered. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application infrastructure.