CVE-2008-6047 in ADbNewsSender
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in ADbNewsSender before 1.5.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors related to (1) subscribing and (2) unsubscribing.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2018
The CVE-2008-6047 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in ADbNewsSender versions prior to 1.5.2, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and output encoding mechanisms within web applications. This vulnerability specifically affects the subscription and unsubscription functionalities of the news publishing system, creating a persistent security risk that could be exploited by remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of affected users' browsers. The flaw stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input data when processing subscription and unsubscription requests, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that would be executed whenever legitimate users interact with the affected application.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding where user-controllable data is not properly escaped or validated before being rendered in web pages. The vulnerability operates through unspecified vectors that likely involve the processing of user names, email addresses, or other subscription parameters without proper sanitization. Attackers could craft malicious payloads that would be stored or processed by the application and subsequently executed when other users view subscription lists or interact with the newsletter management interface. This type of vulnerability represents a classic server-side XSS attack where the malicious code persists on the server and is delivered to multiple users rather than requiring direct interaction with a specific user session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it could enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious websites, or data exfiltration from users' browsers. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to steal user sessions, modify subscription settings, or even gain unauthorized access to the newsletter management system if additional vulnerabilities exist. The persistence of the vulnerability in subscription and unsubscription processes means that every user interaction with these features could serve as a potential attack vector, making the impact significantly broader than a single page or function. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely on user-generated content for subscription management, where the legitimate need to store and display user information creates opportunities for injection attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6047 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices, specifically addressing the CWE-79 weakness through proper sanitization of all user-supplied data before processing. Organizations should upgrade to ADbNewsSender version 1.5.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerabilities in subscription and unsubscription functions. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies, using parameterized queries for database operations, and employing web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting regular security assessments, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's application security categories that emphasize the need for robust input validation and output encoding to prevent injection attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing proper logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling such vulnerabilities.