CVE-2008-6113 in SemanticScuttle
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in SemanticScuttle before 0.90 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, related to the (1) username and (2) profile page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/28/2018
The CVE-2008-6113 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in SemanticScuttle version 0.90 and earlier, exposing web applications to malicious script injection attacks. This vulnerability specifically affects the username and profile page functionalities, creating potential entry points for attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the application's handling of user-provided data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the application's failure to properly escape or filter user input before rendering it on profile pages or during username processing. When legitimate users view affected profile pages or interact with username fields, the malicious scripts become executed within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the victim's browser. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it creates persistent attack vectors that can be leveraged for sophisticated social engineering campaigns. Attackers can craft profile pages that automatically redirect users to malicious sites, steal cookies and session tokens, or inject malicious content that appears legitimate to users. The vulnerability's presence in both username and profile page components means that the attack surface is expanded, as users may encounter malicious scripts in various contexts including user directories, profile listings, or personal information displays. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes the use of malicious content to gain initial access or execute malicious code through web-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6113 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data handling pipeline. Organizations should implement strict sanitization of all user-provided input, particularly in fields related to usernames and profile information, using context-appropriate encoding methods such as HTML entity encoding. The application should employ comprehensive input validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious content before processing or storage. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies and utilizing modern web application frameworks with built-in XSS protection mechanisms would significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on input handling and output rendering would help identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of defense-in-depth strategies and proper web application security practices in preventing persistent cross-site scripting attacks that can compromise entire user bases.