CVE-2008-6208 in e107
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in submitnews.php in e107 CMS 0.7.11 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) author_name, (2) itemtitle, and (3) item parameters. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6208 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the e107 Content Management System version 0.7.11. This security weakness resides in the submitnews.php script which processes user-submitted news articles and allows remote attackers to execute malicious code through carefully crafted input parameters. The vulnerability specifically affects three distinct input fields: author_name, itemtitle, and item parameters, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through multiple entry points within the news submission workflow.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-79, which describes improper neutralization of input during web output, commonly known as cross-site scripting. This vulnerability operates by failing to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before it is rendered back to other users through web pages. When attackers submit malicious scripts through any of the three vulnerable parameters, the CMS does not adequately validate or filter the input, allowing the malicious code to execute within the browser context of other users who view the affected content. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication or privileged access, making it accessible to any remote user with knowledge of the vulnerable parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The attack can be carried out through various methods including HTML injection, JavaScript payload delivery, or even more sophisticated techniques such as exploiting browser vulnerabilities through the injected scripts. Users who visit pages containing the malicious content may unknowingly execute the attacker's code, potentially leading to complete compromise of their browsing sessions and personal data exposure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the e107 CMS. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user inputs through proper escaping techniques before rendering them in web pages, implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, and upgrading to a patched version of the e107 CMS. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, while establishing comprehensive monitoring for suspicious activities related to news submission functions. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other input handling components and ensure that all user-supplied data undergoes proper validation before being processed or displayed. This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in web application development, as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including those referenced by the ATT&CK framework for defensive security measures.