CVE-2008-5891 in Injader
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the profile editing functionality in Injader before 2.1.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2025
The CVE-2008-5891 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Injader content management system prior to version 2.1.2. This vulnerability specifically targets the profile editing functionality, which serves as a core component for user management and personal information handling within the platform. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code through unspecified attack vectors, potentially compromising the security of user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent XSS issue indicates that malicious payloads could be stored and executed across multiple user interactions, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that rely on user-generated content and profile management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the profile editing module. When users attempt to modify their profiles, the application fails to properly filter or escape user-supplied data before rendering it back to the browser. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially stealing session cookies, performing unauthorized actions, or redirecting users to malicious sites. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple input points within the profile editing functionality may be susceptible to this type of injection, including fields for name, email, biography, or other user profile attributes. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses in web applications where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered to web browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5891 extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it fundamentally compromises user trust and application security. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive personal information, or manipulate user profiles to spread malware to other users. The potential for privilege escalation exists if the vulnerable application allows administrative profile modifications or if the attacker can leverage the XSS to gain elevated privileges within the system. This type of vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the second most critical web application security risk. The impact is particularly severe for applications where user profiles contain sensitive information or where profile modifications might grant access to restricted areas of the application. Organizations using affected versions of Injader would be vulnerable to persistent attacks that could remain undetected for extended periods, as the malicious scripts would execute automatically when legitimate users access the compromised profile pages.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the profile editing functionality. The most effective approach involves applying strict sanitization to all user-supplied data before storage and rendering, utilizing established libraries or frameworks that properly escape HTML, JavaScript, and other potentially dangerous content. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Injader version 2.1.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as the same patterns that led to CVE-2008-5891 may exist elsewhere in the application. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following ATT&CK framework tactics for defensive measures, particularly focusing on mitigation strategies related to command and control communications and credential access through web application attacks. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while user education about suspicious profile modifications can help identify potential compromise scenarios. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that all profile editing functionality properly handles edge cases and prevents similar injection vulnerabilities from occurring in other parts of the application.