CVE-2008-2011 in National Rail Enquiries Live Departure Boards
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the National Rail Enquiries Live Departure Boards gadget before 1.1 allows remote National Rail Enquiries servers or man-in-the-middle attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML, and execute arbitrary code, via a response body, as demonstrated by a SCRIPT element that references a vbscript: URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2011 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the National Rail Enquiries Live Departure Boards gadget version 1.0 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the gadget's processing of response bodies from the National Rail Enquiries servers. The flaw specifically affects the gadget's handling of HTML content that may be injected into the response stream, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code through carefully crafted script elements.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker or man-in-the-middle entity manipulates the response body received by the gadget. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to inject SCRIPT elements that reference vbscript: URIs, which can execute malicious code within the context of the user's browser session. This type of attack falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where insufficient validation of input data leads to the execution of malicious scripts in the victim's browser environment. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of how untrusted data can be improperly sanitized before being rendered in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This capability enables a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, and the redirection of users to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects users who rely on the National Rail Enquiries Live Departure Boards gadget, potentially compromising their browsing sessions and exposing sensitive information. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to user accounts or to deploy additional malware within the victim's browser environment.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2008-2011 involves updating the National Rail Enquiries Live Departure Boards gadget to version 1.1 or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should also implement proper content security policies and ensure that all web applications properly sanitize user input before rendering it in web pages. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers script injection attacks, and demonstrates the importance of implementing robust input validation as a fundamental security control. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing man-in-the-middle attack detection mechanisms and monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.