CVE-2008-4591 in PhpWebGallery
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in admin/include/isadmin.inc.php in PhpWebGallery 1.3.4 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) lang[access_forbiden] and (2) lang[ident_title] parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4591 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in PhpWebGallery version 1.3.4 within the administrative include file isadmin.inc.php. This vulnerability manifests through two distinct parameter injection points that enable remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The affected parameters lang[access_forbiden] and lang[ident_title] demonstrate a classic input validation failure where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web responses without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where web applications fail to properly validate or encode user-controllable input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The flaw occurs at the application layer where the administrative interface processes language parameters without implementing adequate output encoding or input filtering measures. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the application's response, potentially executing in the browser context of authenticated administrators or other users who view the affected pages.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risk to PhpWebGallery installations as it targets the administrative interface components that typically contain sensitive functionality and privileged access controls. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal administrator session cookies, execute unauthorized administrative commands, or redirect users to malicious domains. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it potentially compromises the entire administrative environment, allowing for complete system takeover or data manipulation. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers can exploit it without requiring local access or authentication, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible web galleries.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-controllable parameters before they are processed or rendered in web responses, specifically applying HTML entity encoding to prevent script execution in the browser context. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and session management mechanisms can reduce the impact of successful exploitation. Security best practices recommend applying the principle of least privilege to administrative interfaces and regularly updating software components to address known vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies as additional protective measures against similar injection attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and serves as a reminder of the potential consequences when proper security measures are omitted from application development processes.