CVE-2008-5786 in Silva
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Silva Find extension 1.1.5 and earlier in Silva 1.x before 1.6.3.2, Silva 2.0 before 2.0.12.2, and Silva 2.1 before 2.1.0.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the fulltext parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2018
The CVE-2008-5786 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Silva content management system's Find extension, specifically affecting versions 1.1.5 and earlier across multiple Silva releases. This vulnerability resides in the Silva 1.x series before 1.6.3.2, Silva 2.0 before 2.0.12.2, and Silva 2.1 before 2.1.0.2, creating a widespread impact across the Silva ecosystem. The flaw manifests through improper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the Find extension's handling of user-supplied data, particularly when processing the fulltext parameter. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting attacks where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit web application security weaknesses.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers submit malicious content through the fulltext parameter, which is then processed and rendered without adequate sanitization measures. This parameter typically serves as a search input field within the Silva Find extension, allowing users to search through content within the CMS. When the application fails to properly validate or encode user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, attackers can inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The attack vector specifically targets the web application's input handling mechanisms, leveraging the fact that the Find extension does not adequately sanitize search queries before displaying them back to users, creating an environment where malicious scripts can persist and execute upon subsequent page views.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables sophisticated attack scenarios that can compromise entire user sessions and potentially provide attackers with elevated privileges within the CMS environment. When successful, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete system compromise if the affected users possess administrative privileges. The vulnerability's persistence nature means that once injected, malicious scripts can affect all users who view the affected pages, creating a scalable attack surface that can propagate across multiple user sessions. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators or content creators interact with the same CMS instance, as a single compromised search query can compromise the entire user base. The attack can result in session hijacking, data exfiltration, and unauthorized content modification, all while maintaining stealth due to the legitimate nature of the search functionality being exploited.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-5786 should focus on immediate remediation through version upgrades to the patched Silva releases, specifically ensuring all systems are updated to versions 1.6.3.2, 2.0.12.2, or 2.1.0.2 respectively. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms at the application level, particularly for all parameters that are subsequently rendered in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, while regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the CMS. The vulnerability's remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering, as attackers can leverage the XSS to steal session cookies and escalate privileges within the CMS environment. Additionally, implementing proper parameter validation and sanitization practices, including the use of established security libraries and frameworks, can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future development cycles. Security teams should also establish monitoring procedures to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts, given the vulnerability's potential for widespread impact across multiple Silva installations.