CVE-2008-5814 in PHP
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in PHP, possibly 5.2.7 and earlier, when display_errors is enabled, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors. NOTE: because of the lack of details, it is unclear whether this is related to CVE-2006-0208.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-5814 represents a cross-site scripting flaw that affects PHP versions 5.2.7 and earlier when the display_errors configuration directive is enabled. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting attacks, making it a critical security concern for web applications. The flaw occurs within the PHP runtime environment's error handling mechanism, where error messages containing user-supplied input are displayed directly to end users without proper sanitization or encoding. When display_errors is enabled, PHP will render detailed error messages that include information about the script execution, potentially exposing sensitive data or allowing malicious payloads to be executed in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the specific configuration state of the PHP environment where display_errors is enabled, creating a condition where attacker-controlled input can be reflected back to users in error messages without proper HTML escaping or sanitization. This configuration creates an environment where malicious input can be injected into the error output, effectively bypassing normal input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the legitimate error reporting functionality of PHP to deliver malicious content, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate error messages and crafted attacks. Attackers can craft input that when processed by PHP results in error messages containing their malicious scripts, which are then executed in the browsers of other users who encounter these error messages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, defacement of web applications, data theft, and other malicious activities that compromise user privacy and application integrity. The vulnerability's potential for exploitation increases significantly when combined with other weaknesses in web application security, as it provides a direct pathway for attackers to execute arbitrary code in user browsers. The lack of specific vector details in the original CVE description, as noted in the advisory, makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous because security teams cannot easily determine the exact attack surface or implement precise mitigations without further investigation. This ambiguity also creates challenges for vulnerability assessment and remediation efforts, as organizations must consider multiple potential attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-5814 should focus on disabling the display_errors directive in production environments, ensuring that error messages are logged securely rather than displayed to end users. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their applications, following secure coding practices that prevent user input from being directly embedded in error messages. The recommended remediation includes upgrading to PHP versions where this vulnerability has been addressed, typically PHP 5.2.8 and later, which contain improved error handling and sanitization mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewall rules and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection against XSS attacks that leverage similar vectors. The vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2006-0208 suggests that this may be part of a broader class of PHP error handling vulnerabilities that require comprehensive security reviews of all error reporting mechanisms within web applications. Security teams should also consider implementing automated scanning tools that can detect instances of display_errors being enabled in production environments, as this configuration represents a fundamental security misconfiguration that significantly increases attack surface exposure.