CVE-2008-2115 in Power Editor
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in editor.php in ScriptsEZ.net Power Editor 2.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) te and (2) dir parameters in a tempedit action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2115 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the ScriptsEZ.net Power Editor 2.0 web application. This vulnerability exists in the editor.php component and specifically affects the handling of user-supplied input through two distinct parameters named te and dir. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or malicious content injection.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the Power Editor application. When the tempedit action is invoked with maliciously crafted values for the te and dir parameters, the application fails to properly sanitize these inputs before incorporating them into dynamic web page content. This lack of proper input filtering creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious scripts that will execute whenever other users view the affected pages. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected XSS attack vector, where malicious payloads are reflected back to users through the vulnerable application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities within the targeted environment. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to steal user sessions, redirect victims to phishing sites, or inject malicious content that appears legitimate to end users. The attack requires minimal prerequisites and can be executed through simple URL manipulation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the Power Editor is widely used. The vulnerability affects any user who interacts with the editor.php component during the tempedit action, potentially compromising the entire user base of the application.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters. The application should sanitize all input values for the te and dir parameters before processing them, utilizing proper encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding for output rendering. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a common pattern that appears in many web applications where input validation is insufficient. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communications and credential access through web-based attacks, potentially enabling further compromise of the affected systems. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in their web applications.