CVE-2008-2202 in Maian Uploader
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Maian Uploader 4.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) keywords parameter to upload/admin/index.php in a search action, the (2) msg_charset and (3) msg_header9 parameters to admin/inc/header.php, and the (4) keywords parameter to index.php in a search action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2025
The CVE-2008-2202 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Maian Uploader version 4.0, a web-based file management system that allows users to upload and organize digital content. This vulnerability manifests across multiple endpoints within the application's administrative interface and public-facing search functionality, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise user sessions or execute unauthorized code within victim browsers. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or encode user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through four distinct parameter injection points that collectively demonstrate poor security hygiene in the application's data handling processes. The first vector involves the keywords parameter within the upload/admin/index.php file during search operations, where unfiltered user input directly influences the search results display. The second and third vectors target the msg_charset and msg_header9 parameters in the admin/inc/header.php file, which appear to handle character encoding specifications and header information respectively. The fourth vector operates through the keywords parameter in the index.php file during search actions, extending the attack surface to the application's public interface. These vulnerabilities align with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as attackers can leverage these XSS flaws to hijack user sessions, redirect victims to malicious domains, or inject persistent malicious scripts that affect all users of the compromised system. When users interact with search results containing malicious payloads, their browsers execute the injected scripts within the context of the vulnerable application, potentially leading to complete session compromise or data exfiltration. The administrative interface vulnerabilities pose particular risk since they could enable attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to sensitive system controls. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for social engineering and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers can use these entry points to establish persistent access through malicious script injection.
The exploitation of these vulnerabilities demonstrates fundamental security gaps in input validation and output encoding practices that violate industry standards for secure web application development. Organizations deploying Maian Uploader 4.0 should immediately implement mitigations including comprehensive input sanitization, proper output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies including web application firewalls, content security policies, and regular security patch management to protect against similar threats. Additionally, this vulnerability underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations and the principle of least privilege in web application design to prevent unauthorized code execution and data compromise.