CVE-2008-2398 in AppServ
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in AppServ Open Project 2.5.10 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the appservlang parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2025
The CVE-2008-2398 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the AppServ Open Project version 2.5.10 and earlier installations. This vulnerability specifically targets the index.php script and exploits an input validation weakness in the appservlang parameter handling. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and well-documented web application security flaws. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web page content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers. When a user accesses the vulnerable application with a specially crafted appservlang parameter containing malicious JavaScript code, the application processes this input without adequate sanitization measures. The malicious payload gets embedded into the web page response and executed by the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This type of vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the same web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the victim's browser session. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for Scripting and T1531 for Account Access Through Web Shell, demonstrating how XSS can serve as a foundational attack vector for more sophisticated compromise techniques. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of web applications by allowing unauthorized code execution, potential data exfiltration, and session manipulation. Organizations using affected AppServ versions face significant risk of unauthorized access and data breaches, particularly in environments where sensitive information is handled through web interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-2398 should prioritize immediate patching of the AppServ Open Project to versions that address the input validation flaw. Organizations should implement proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms to prevent user-supplied data from being interpreted as executable code. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper parameter validation can significantly reduce the attack surface. Additionally, regular security assessments and web application firewalls should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. According to OWASP Top Ten 2021, this vulnerability type remains critical and requires continuous monitoring and remediation efforts to maintain secure web application environments. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security practices throughout the software development lifecycle.