CVE-2008-4649 in Elxis
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in Elxis CMS 2008.1 revision 2204 allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions by setting the PHPSESSID parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2025
The session fixation vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4649 represents a critical security flaw in Elxis CMS version 2008.1 revision 2204 that enables remote attackers to hijack user sessions through manipulation of the PHPSESSID parameter. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-384 category of Session Fixation, which occurs when an application fails to properly invalidate session identifiers upon user authentication, creating opportunities for attackers to exploit established session cookies.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from the CMS's improper handling of session management during the authentication process. When users log into the Elxis CMS system, the application does not regenerate or invalidate the existing session identifier, allowing attackers to capture a valid session cookie and reuse it to impersonate authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically exploits the PHPSESSID parameter which serves as the primary identifier for PHP sessions, making it a prime target for session hijacking attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing Elxis CMS 2008.1 revision 2204. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to administrative panels, modify content, steal sensitive information, or perform other malicious activities within the compromised system. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the target system or network, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in web-facing applications. The impact extends beyond individual user accounts to potentially compromise entire organizational systems if administrators are targeted.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1563.002 which focuses on remote service sessions and session hijacking. Security professionals should note that this flaw demonstrates poor session management practices that violate fundamental security principles outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST SP 800-53. The vulnerability can be mitigated through immediate application of security patches provided by Elxis developers, implementation of proper session regeneration upon authentication, and enforcement of secure session cookie attributes including HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring to detect suspicious session activity and establish robust session management policies that prevent session fixation attacks. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that session identifiers are properly regenerated during authentication and that existing sessions are invalidated when users log in or out of the system.