CVE-2008-4661 in Page Improvements
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Page Improvements (sm_pageimprovements) 1.1.0 and earlier extension for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2017
The CVE-2008-4661 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Page Improvements extension for TYPO3 content management system. This vulnerability affects versions 1.1.0 and earlier, making it a significant concern for organizations utilizing TYPO3 platforms that have not upgraded to patched versions. The flaw resides in how the extension processes user input without proper sanitization, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The unspecified vectors indicate that the vulnerability could potentially be exploited through multiple entry points within the extension's functionality, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can identify various methods to deliver malicious payloads.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This classification indicates that the extension fails to properly validate and sanitize input data before rendering it in web pages, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and its users, where legitimate user input is treated as safe but contains malicious code designed to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. The impact is particularly severe in web environments where user-generated content is processed and displayed without adequate security measures.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations using TYPO3 platforms with the affected extension. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform session hijacking, steal cookies, or redirect users to phishing sites that mimic legitimate services. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system or network, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible web environments. The vulnerability could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, manipulate content, or conduct further reconnaissance on the affected systems. Organizations relying on TYPO3 for their websites face potential reputational damage, data breaches, and compliance violations if this vulnerability remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-4661 should prioritize immediate patching of the Page Improvements extension to version 1.1.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. System administrators should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their TYPO3 installations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from arising. The implementation of Content Security Policies can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Organizations should conduct regular security audits of their TYPO3 extensions and maintain updated inventory of all installed modules to quickly identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious input patterns can provide defense-in-depth measures against exploitation attempts. These remediation steps align with ATT&CK framework techniques for defensive measures against web application vulnerabilities and demonstrate the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components to prevent exploitation of known security flaws.