CVE-2008-1470 in WebID
Summary
by MITRE
Incomplete blacklist vulnerability in IISWebAgentIF.dll in the WebID RSA Authentication Agent 5.3, and possibly earlier, allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the postdata parameter, due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2005-1118.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-1470 represents a critical security flaw in the WebID RSA Authentication Agent version 5.3 and potentially earlier releases, specifically within the IISWebAgentIF.dll component. This issue manifests as an incomplete blacklist vulnerability that directly enables cross-site scripting attacks through the postdata parameter, demonstrating a significant regression in security controls that had previously been addressed in CVE-2005-1118. The flaw occurs within the Internet Information Services web agent that facilitates authentication processes, creating a dangerous attack vector that can be exploited by remote threat actors without requiring local system access or elevated privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from an inadequate filtering mechanism implemented in the IISWebAgentIF.dll module, which fails to properly sanitize user input submitted through the postdata parameter. This incomplete blacklist approach means that the system relies on a predefined list of potentially dangerous characters or patterns to block malicious content, but this list is insufficient to prevent all forms of cross-site scripting attempts. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authentication agent's handling of web requests, where legitimate authentication data becomes contaminated with malicious script payloads that bypass existing security controls. This represents a fundamental flaw in the input validation architecture that violates core security principles of defense in depth and proper sanitization techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-1470 extends beyond simple XSS exploitation, as it can lead to complete session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to protected systems. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially compromising sensitive authentication tokens and user credentials. The attack surface is particularly dangerous in environments where the RSA Authentication Agent is deployed for critical access control, as successful exploitation can result in unauthorized administrative access to systems and data. This vulnerability also enables more sophisticated attack chains where initial XSS exploitation leads to further reconnaissance and privilege escalation activities.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the RSA Authentication Agent, implementing additional input validation controls, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to phishing campaigns that often leverage XSS vulnerabilities for initial access. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies, regular security assessments, and monitoring for anomalous authentication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their existing security controls to ensure that similar incomplete blacklist approaches are not present in other components of their authentication infrastructure, as this represents a systemic security weakness that requires comprehensive remediation across all authentication systems.