CVE-2008-4365 in Siteman
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.php in Siteman 1.1.11 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown vectors. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2018
The CVE-2008-4365 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Siteman content management system version 1.1.11 and earlier. This vulnerability exists within the search.php script component of the application, making it a critical security weakness that could be exploited by remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability's classification as a client-side attack vector means that it specifically targets end-user browsers rather than server infrastructure, allowing attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites.
The technical nature of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the search functionality of Siteman. When users submit search queries through the search.php script, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied input before processing or displaying it. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that get executed when other users view the search results or interact with the affected page. The vulnerability's classification as a stored or reflected XSS depends on how the malicious input is processed and stored within the application, though the description indicates that the attack vector operates through unknown means, suggesting potential complexity in the exploitation mechanism. According to CWE taxonomy, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in web applications, while the ATT&CK framework would categorize this under T1531 - Account Access Token Manipulation, though more specifically it relates to T1059.008 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious PowerShell commands through browser-based attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-4365 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute malicious code that could lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in Siteman 1.1.11 and earlier versions indicates that organizations using these outdated systems face significant risk, particularly if they handle sensitive user data or operate in environments where user trust is paramount. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, manipulate website content, or establish persistent access points within the network. The fact that the vulnerability affects the search functionality makes it particularly dangerous as search operations are typically high-traffic features that could provide attackers with multiple opportunities to inject malicious code.
Organizations affected by CVE-2008-4365 should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to protect their systems and users from potential exploitation. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to a patched version of Siteman that addresses this XSS vulnerability, as version 1.1.12 or later should contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the search.php script would provide defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities. Web application firewalls and content security policies should be configured to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while regular security audits and penetration testing can help identify additional weaknesses. According to industry best practices and NIST guidelines for web application security, organizations should also implement proper logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, ensuring that any malicious activities are promptly identified and addressed through incident response procedures. The vulnerability's age and the lack of detailed exploitation information underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and avoiding the use of deprecated software versions that may contain unpatched security flaws.