CVE-2008-5845 in Movable Type
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Six Apart Movable Type (MT) before 4.23 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a (1) MTEntryAuthorUsername, (2) MTAuthorDisplayName, (3) MTEntryAuthorDisplayName, or (4) MTCommenterName field in a Profile View template; a (5) listing screen or (6) edit screen in the CMS app; (7) a TrackBack title, related to the HTML sanitization library; or (8) a user archive name (aka archive title) on a published Community Blog template.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2017
The CVE-2008-5845 vulnerability represents a significant cross-site scripting flaw in Six Apart Movable Type version 4.22 and earlier, affecting web applications that utilize this content management system for blog and community publishing. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the platform's template processing system, specifically targeting user-generated content fields that are rendered without proper HTML escaping or sanitization. The vulnerability impacts multiple components of the Movable Type application including entry author information, commentor details, trackback titles, and community blog archive titles, creating a broad attack surface that could be exploited by remote malicious actors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through several distinct vectors within the Movable Type framework. Attackers can inject malicious scripts through the MTEntryAuthorUsername field which appears in profile view templates, or through MTAuthorDisplayName and MTEntryAuthorDisplayName fields that are rendered in various CMS screens. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to the TrackBack title field where HTML sanitization fails to properly filter malicious content, and to user archive names in community blog templates. These attack vectors align with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and represent a classic case of insufficient output escaping in web applications. The vulnerability affects both listing screens and edit screens within the CMS application, providing attackers with multiple opportunities to execute malicious code against unsuspecting users.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5845 is substantial as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions. When exploited, these vulnerabilities could enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface published content, or perform actions on behalf of legitimate users within the Movable Type environment. The vulnerability particularly affects community blogs where user-generated content is prevalent, making it possible for attackers to compromise entire user bases through a single injection point. The attack requires no special privileges to execute, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the vulnerable application's interface. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers spearphishing attachments, and T1566.002, which involves spearphishing links, as attackers can craft malicious payloads that appear legitimate within the blogging platform's interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-5845 should focus on immediate patching of the Movable Type application to version 4.23 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes for the identified XSS vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, particularly for user-generated content fields. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security audits of template files and input handling mechanisms should be conducted to identify potential XSS vulnerabilities in custom implementations. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper HTML sanitization and output encoding practices, as recommended by OWASP's XSS Prevention Cheat Sheet and aligned with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-171 for protecting against cross-site scripting attacks in web applications.