CVE-2008-5080 in awstats
Summary
by MITRE
awstats.pl in AWStats 6.8 and earlier does not properly remove quote characters, which allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the query_string parameter. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2008-3714.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5080 affects AWStats 6.8 and earlier versions, specifically within the awstats.pl script where improper quote character removal creates a cross-site scripting attack vector. This weakness enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications through the query_string parameter, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability represents a regression in security measures, as it stems from an incomplete remediation of a previously identified flaw, CVE-2008-3714, demonstrating how inadequate security fixes can leave systems vulnerable to exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient sanitization of user input within the query_string parameter processing. When AWStats processes web server log data, it accepts query parameters that are not properly escaped or filtered, allowing special characters including quotes to persist in the output. This creates an XSS vulnerability where malicious actors can embed script code within URL parameters that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected AWStats reports. The vulnerability specifically impacts the web interface's handling of user-supplied data, where quote characters are not adequately stripped or encoded before being rendered in HTML output.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. Users who view AWStats reports containing compromised query_string parameters may unknowingly execute malicious code that could capture cookies, credentials, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using AWStats for web analytics and log analysis, where the tool processes user-generated URLs and query parameters from web traffic logs, making it a significant risk for any system where AWStats is deployed with user-accessible reporting capabilities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to AWStats versions 6.9 or later where this vulnerability has been properly addressed, applying input validation and output encoding to all user-supplied parameters, and implementing proper content security policies to prevent script execution. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security assessments to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other applications, as this represents a common class of vulnerability that affects many web applications processing user-supplied data.