CVE-2008-6045 in Xt-commerce
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in shopping_cart.php in xt:Commerce 3.0.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions by setting the XTCsid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2025
The CVE-2008-6045 vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw in the xt:Commerce e-commerce platform version 3.0.4 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically affects the shopping_cart.php script and enables remote attackers to exploit web session management mechanisms through manipulation of the XTCsid parameter. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly regenerate session identifiers upon user authentication or other security-sensitive operations, creating a pathway for malicious actors to establish and maintain unauthorized access to user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker can predict or control the session identifier used by the web application. In the context of xt:Commerce, the XTCsid parameter serves as the primary session identifier within the shopping cart functionality. When an attacker can manipulate this parameter, they can effectively hijack active user sessions without requiring valid authentication credentials. This flaw directly violates fundamental web application security principles and represents a classic session fixation attack vector that has been documented in various security frameworks and standards.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to e-commerce platforms utilizing xt:Commerce 3.0.4 or earlier versions. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to access user accounts, view sensitive customer information, modify shopping cart contents, and potentially execute fraudulent transactions. The vulnerability affects the core session management functionality of the platform, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited across multiple user interactions within the shopping cart and checkout processes. Organizations using affected versions face potential data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage due to unauthorized access to customer sessions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which specifically addresses session fixation issues in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1548.003 for session hijacking activities. Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including session regeneration upon authentication, proper session management controls, and parameter validation for the XTCsid variable. Organizations must upgrade to patched versions of xt:Commerce, implement secure session handling mechanisms, and conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous session parameter usage patterns, and regular security audits should be performed to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components that may be susceptible to session management attacks.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper session handling in web applications and highlights the need for continuous security testing and vulnerability management processes. The flaw represents a fundamental weakness in the application's security architecture that could be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise, making it particularly concerning for e-commerce environments where sensitive financial and personal data is processed regularly.