CVE-2008-4888 in NetRisk
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in error.php in NetRisk 2.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the error parameter to index.php. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4888 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the NetRisk security assessment platform version 2.0 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the error.php component and specifically affects the index.php file's handling of user input through the error parameter. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected web applications, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is embedded into web pages viewed by other users without proper validation or sanitization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. When an attacker crafts a malicious payload and submits it through the error parameter in index.php, the vulnerable NetRisk application processes this input without adequate security controls, allowing the malicious code to be executed in the victim's browser context. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when developers assume that user input will be benign and fail to implement proper input sanitization mechanisms or output encoding for web content. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various attack vectors including crafted URLs, form submissions, or even through social engineering techniques that trick users into clicking malicious links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, manipulate application data, or redirect users to malicious websites. Given that NetRisk is a security assessment tool, the exploitation of this vulnerability could potentially compromise the integrity of security testing activities and provide attackers with insights into the target environment's security posture. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for web-based applications. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, conduct further reconnaissance, or launch more sophisticated attacks against the compromised environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-4888 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied data is sanitized and validated before being processed or displayed in web pages. The implementation of content security policies, proper HTML escaping, and parameter validation can effectively prevent this class of vulnerability. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in application code. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics, and T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security updates to address known vulnerabilities in third-party applications. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that input validation measures do not inadvertently break legitimate application functionality while effectively preventing XSS attacks.