CVE-2008-2764 in Absolute Live Support XE
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin/search.asp in Xigla Absolute Live Support XE 5.1 allows remote authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors ("all fields").
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2017
The CVE-2008-2764 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the administrative interface of Xigla Absolute Live Support XE 5.1, a web-based customer support system. This vulnerability specifically affects the admin/search.asp component, which serves as a search functionality for administrators managing the support system. The flaw exists in the handling of user input within the search parameters, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated administrator sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the search functionality. When administrators perform searches through the admin interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied parameters before processing them. This allows an authenticated attacker with administrative privileges to craft malicious input that gets executed in the context of other administrators who view the search results. The vulnerability is classified as a persistent XSS flaw since the malicious scripts can be stored and executed whenever the affected search functionality is accessed, potentially affecting multiple administrators over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables attackers to escalate privileges and compromise the administrative interface of the support system. An attacker who gains access to an administrator account can leverage this XSS flaw to steal session cookies, redirect administrators to malicious sites, inject backdoors, or even modify system configurations. The attack vector requires only an authenticated administrator to be logged into the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is relatively common. This vulnerability undermines the integrity of the administrative interface and can lead to complete system compromise.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms, including proper HTML escaping and sanitization of all user-supplied data before processing. The recommended mitigations include implementing Content Security Policy headers, using parameterized queries for all database interactions, and conducting regular security code reviews. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of securing administrative interfaces and highlights the need for thorough input validation across all application components to prevent persistent XSS attacks that can compromise entire systems through authenticated user sessions.