CVE-2008-1953 in Site Designer
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Sitedesigner before 1.1.5 search template in Magnolia Enterprise Edition allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query 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 • 11/14/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1953 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Sitedesigner component of Magnolia Enterprise Edition versions prior to 1.1.5. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a critical concern for web application security. The vulnerability manifests in the search template functionality where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of authenticated users' sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the query parameter within the search functionality of the affected Magnolia Enterprise Edition installation. When a remote attacker crafts a malicious payload and submits it through this parameter, the application fails to adequately validate or escape the input before incorporating it into the search results page. This oversight allows the attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that executes in the victim's browser when the search results are displayed. The vulnerability specifically affects the Sitedesigner module's search template implementation, which is commonly used in enterprise content management systems where users expect secure handling of search queries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, manipulate application data, or redirect users to malicious websites. In enterprise environments utilizing Magnolia Enterprise Edition, this vulnerability could compromise the integrity of the entire content management system, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information or manipulate published content. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no privileged access or authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any remote user who can interact with the vulnerable search functionality. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple user sessions and its ability to bypass standard security controls make it a significant threat to organizational security posture.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1953 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Magnolia Enterprise Edition installations to version 1.1.5 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for input validation and output encoding. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly focusing on search parameters and other dynamic content inputs. The implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed within the application context. Regular security auditing of web applications, including thorough testing of search and input handling functionality, should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block malicious payloads targeting XSS vulnerabilities, while maintaining proper logging and monitoring of search activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and input sanitization standards as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and other industry security frameworks to prevent such persistent threats in enterprise web applications.