CVE-2008-4140 in Quick.Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin.php in Quick.Cart 3.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query string.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4140 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Quick.Cart 3.1 e-commerce platform administration interface. This security weakness exists in the admin.php file and specifically affects the handling of user-supplied input through the HTTP query string parameters. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter malicious content before it is rendered back to users within the administrative context.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the query string parameters that are processed by the admin.php script. When the vulnerable application incorporates these unvalidated parameters directly into web page output without proper HTML entity encoding or script context sanitization, the injected malicious code executes within the browser context of authenticated administrators. This creates a persistent threat vector where attackers can leverage the administrative privileges of the compromised user to perform actions such as modifying product listings, accessing sensitive customer data, or even escalating privileges within the application.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to e-commerce platforms utilizing Quick.Cart 3.1 as it enables attackers to hijack administrative sessions and potentially gain full control over the online store. The attack requires minimal sophistication as it can be executed through simple URL manipulation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently click on links or where the application is accessed from untrusted networks. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the top ten web application security risks by OWASP.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection to include potential session hijacking and privilege escalation attacks. When combined with other exploitation techniques, attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to the administrative interface. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application attack pattern under the technique of "Command and Scripting Interpreter" where malicious scripts are executed within the target environment. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in environments where multiple administrators access the same system, as a successful attack on one user could potentially compromise the entire administrative workforce.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-4140 should prioritize immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the Quick.Cart 3.1 application. The recommended approach involves implementing strict parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes any input containing potentially dangerous characters or script tags before processing. Additionally, developers should employ proper HTML entity encoding when rendering user-supplied content within the administrative interface to prevent script execution. The most effective long-term solution requires upgrading to a patched version of Quick.Cart that addresses this specific vulnerability, as the original version lacks proper security controls to prevent XSS attacks. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be conducted to ensure that similar weaknesses do not exist in other application components, as this vulnerability represents a common pattern that continues to affect legacy web applications.