CVE-2008-2759 in Absolute Form Processor XE
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Xigla Absolute Form Processor XE 4.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) showfields, (2) text, and (3) submissions parameters to search.asp and the (4) name parameter to users.asp. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2017
The CVE-2008-2759 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Xigla Absolute Form Processor XE 4.0, a web application framework designed for form processing and data management. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input parameters, creating a persistent security risk that affects multiple endpoints within the system. The flaw specifically impacts the search.asp and users.asp files, where inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms fail to properly sanitize user data before it is rendered back to web browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly filter and escape special characters in multiple parameter fields. Attackers can exploit four distinct parameter injection points to execute malicious scripts within victim browsers. The showfields, text, and submissions parameters in search.asp accept unfiltered input that gets directly embedded into web responses without proper HTML encoding or context-aware sanitization. Similarly, the name parameter in users.asp presents an identical weakness, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that will execute when the affected page is rendered. These vulnerabilities fall under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to establish persistent sessions within victim browsers and potentially escalate privileges within the application context. Remote attackers can leverage these XSS vectors to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject malicious code that could exfiltrate sensitive information from authenticated sessions. The vulnerability affects the application's core functionality by compromising the integrity of user input handling and potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through script injection techniques. According to ATT&CK framework category T1059, this vulnerability enables adversary code execution through web-based attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-2759 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all affected parameters. The application should employ context-aware encoding for all user-supplied data, particularly when rendering content in HTML contexts. Implementing proper Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular input sanitization routines should be deployed to filter out potentially malicious characters. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious parameter values, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights how seemingly minor oversights in parameter handling can create significant security risks.