CVE-2008-5290 in Clean CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in full_txt.php in Werner Hilversum Clean CMS 1.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The CVE-2008-5290 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Werner Hilversum Clean CMS 1.5 content management system. This vulnerability specifically affects the full_txt.php script which processes user input through the id parameter without proper sanitization or validation. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers who visit the affected pages. Such vulnerabilities fall under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues identified by the CWE project. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it allows adversaries to manipulate content delivery and potentially escalate their privileges within the application's user base.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the CMS application. When the id parameter is passed to full_txt.php, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. This omission creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can execute in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact. According to ATT&CK framework category T1190, this represents a web application attack pattern that leverages insecure input handling to compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5290 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could craft a payload that steals cookies or session tokens from authenticated users, effectively allowing them to impersonate legitimate users within the CMS. The vulnerability affects any user who views content generated by the vulnerable script, potentially compromising the entire user base that accesses affected pages. Organizations running this version of Clean CMS face significant risk of data exposure and potential system compromise, as the XSS attack can be used to establish persistent malicious presence within the application environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input through proper validation routines and encoding output data before rendering it in web pages. Security patches should be applied to update the Clean CMS to a version that addresses this vulnerability, as the original 1.5 release contains known security gaps. Organizations should also implement content security policies and regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in their web applications. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that all input parameters are properly validated and that no similar XSS vulnerabilities exist in other parts of the CMS codebase, following the principle of defense in depth as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including NIST SP 800-160.