CVE-2008-2756 in Absolute Control Panel XE
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin/users.asp in Xigla Absolute Control Panel XE 1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the name parameter and other unspecified parameters. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2756 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Xigla Absolute Control Panel XE 1.0 administrative interface. This security weakness specifically affects the admin/users.asp page where user input validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize data submitted through the name parameter and other unspecified parameters. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially compromising the entire administrative environment.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that occurs when an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The specific implementation flaw in the Xigla Absolute Control Panel demonstrates poor input sanitization practices where the application fails to adequately filter or encode user-supplied data before processing or displaying it within the web interface. The attack vector leverages the fact that the application directly incorporates user input into dynamically generated HTML content without appropriate security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with potential access to administrative functions and sensitive user data within the control panel environment. An attacker could exploit this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized administrative actions, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability particularly affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the control panel, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to escalate privileges or manipulate user accounts. The unspecified nature of additional vulnerable parameters suggests that the control panel may contain multiple entry points for similar attacks, amplifying the overall security risk.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper parameter validation and HTML entity encoding before processing or displaying any data within the web interface. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish proper input validation routines that reject or sanitize potentially malicious content. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The remediation process should include updating the control panel to a patched version if available, or implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious requests before they reach the vulnerable application components. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to OWASP Top Ten security guidelines for preventing XSS attacks in web applications.