CVE-2008-4612 in PortalApp
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in PortalApp 4.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the keywords parameter to (1) forums.asp and (2) content.asp.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2024
The CVE-2008-4612 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within PortalApp 4.0 software, specifically affecting two key application endpoints. This vulnerability resides in the handling of user-supplied input through the keywords parameter, which is processed by both forums.asp and content.asp scripts. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of legitimate user sessions, potentially compromising the security posture of affected systems. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or sanitization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when attackers submit malicious input through the keywords parameter to either of the affected scripts. When the application processes this input without adequate sanitization, the injected code becomes part of the dynamic web page content, executing in the browsers of other users who view the affected pages. This creates a persistent threat vector where attackers can manipulate the application's behavior, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability affects the application's input validation mechanisms, specifically failing to properly filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or script tags.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or manipulation, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent footholds within the application environment. Successful exploitation could allow threat actors to conduct session hijacking attacks, deface web pages, steal sensitive user information, or even escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability affects both forums.asp and content.asp endpoints, suggesting a systemic issue in how the application handles user input across multiple modules. This widespread impact increases the potential attack surface and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations relying on PortalApp 4.0 for content management or community forums.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-4612 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed, particularly in parameters like keywords that are frequently used in search and content retrieval functions. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while proper input validation frameworks should be deployed to prevent malicious code injection. Security practitioners should also consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious traffic patterns, as well as conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in web application development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter execution through web-based attacks.