CVE-2008-4536 in EC-CUBE
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in EC-CUBE Ver1 1.4.6 and earlier, Ver1 Beta 1.5.0-beta and earlier, Ver2 2.1.2a and earlier, Ver2 Beta(RC) 2.2.0-beta and earlier, Community Edition 1.3.4 and earlier, and Community Edition Nightly-Build r17319 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, a different issue than CVE-2008-4535 and CVE-2008-4537.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2018
The CVE-2008-4536 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple versions of the EC-CUBE e-commerce platform across its various release lines including version 1.4.6 and earlier, version 2.1.2a and earlier, and community editions up to r17319. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a server-side input validation failure where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web responses. The vulnerability exists in the platform's handling of unspecified input vectors, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can exploit various entry points to inject malicious scripts. The issue is distinct from related vulnerabilities CVE-2008-4535 and CVE-2008-4537, indicating that this represents a separate attack surface within the same software ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user input across multiple components of the EC-CUBE platform, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code through various submission points. When legitimate users view pages containing maliciously crafted input, the injected scripts execute in their browsers within the context of the vulnerable application, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects both the core application functionality and user-facing interfaces where data is processed and displayed, making it particularly challenging to defend against as the attack vectors span multiple application modules and data handling processes. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains where malicious actors establish persistent access to user sessions and potentially compromise the entire application infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal user credentials, manipulate transactions, or gain unauthorized access to administrative functions depending on the specific implementation details and user privileges. The widespread nature of affected versions across different release lines suggests that organizations running any of these versions are potentially exposed to attacks, with the vulnerability being particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently submit data through web forms or interact with user-generated content features. The risk is amplified by the fact that such vulnerabilities often remain undetected for extended periods, providing attackers with prolonged opportunities for exploitation. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through version upgrades and implement comprehensive input validation measures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other applications within their infrastructure.
Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability exemplifies the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices in web application development. The presence of multiple affected versions indicates a systemic issue in the platform's security architecture rather than isolated incidents, highlighting the need for comprehensive security reviews of legacy systems. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation gaps can create significant security risks when combined with the widespread adoption of the affected platform. Organizations should implement network segmentation, web application firewalls, and regular security assessments to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, the vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping software components updated, as newer versions typically contain fixes for known security issues and implement more robust security controls. The attack surface for such vulnerabilities often extends beyond the immediate application to include user data, session management, and potentially backend systems that rely on the vulnerable platform's functionality.