CVE-2008-4488 in Atarone
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in ap-pages.php in Atarone CMS 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) name and (2) id parameters. 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 • 10/10/2018
The CVE-2008-4488 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Atarone CMS 1.2.0 content management system that demonstrates the persistent security challenges associated with input validation in web applications. This vulnerability specifically affects the ap-pages.php script which serves as a critical component for managing pages within the CMS framework. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input filtering mechanisms that permit malicious payloads to be injected through two distinct parameter vectors: the name parameter and the id parameter. When these parameters are processed without proper sanitization, they become conduits for executing arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is embedded into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no privileged access to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by attackers from any location with internet connectivity.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-4488 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute persistent attacks against the CMS user base. When exploited, the vulnerability allows threat actors to inject malicious JavaScript code that can steal session cookies, redirect victims to phishing sites, or even modify the content of web pages displayed to unsuspecting users. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects core CMS functionality and can potentially compromise the entire web application if attackers gain access to administrative accounts through session manipulation or credential theft.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues. The most direct fix involves implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing or rendering. This includes applying proper HTML entity encoding to all dynamic content and implementing strict parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious input patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and establish proper input filtering at multiple layers of the application architecture. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Scripting, specifically focusing on the execution of malicious scripts through web-based attack vectors. Additionally, this weakness demonstrates the critical importance of input validation practices and aligns with security frameworks such as OWASP Top Ten, particularly the A03:2021-Injection category that encompasses XSS vulnerabilities and the A07:2021-Identification and Authentication Failures that may result from session manipulation through XSS attacks.