CVE-2008-6283 in Subtext
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Subtext 2.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a comment, related to "the feature which converts URLs to anchor tags."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6283 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw affecting Subtext 2.0 content management system. This security weakness stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the platform's comment processing functionality. The specific issue occurs when the system automatically converts URLs present in user comments into clickable anchor tags without proper security measures to prevent malicious script injection. Attackers can exploit this by submitting carefully crafted comments containing malicious javascript code or html markup that gets executed in the browsers of other users who view these comments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a critical web application security flaw. The flaw specifically manifests in the automatic URL-to-anchor tag conversion feature that processes user input without adequate sanitization. When users submit comments containing URLs, the system performs automatic hyperlink conversion without filtering or escaping potentially dangerous characters or script sequences. This creates an attack surface where malicious actors can embed javascript payloads within their comments that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate system functionality to deliver malicious content, making it difficult to distinguish between benign and malicious user input.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes Subtext 2.0 installations to significant risks including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. When users view comments containing malicious scripts, the injected code executes in their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to steal cookies, session tokens, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable more sophisticated attacks such as phishing campaigns or the delivery of malware through drive-by downloads. The vulnerability affects all users who can submit comments, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with the platform. Additionally, the automatic nature of the URL conversion means that even users who do not actively engage with malicious content can be compromised simply by viewing affected comments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6283 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that all user-generated content, particularly comments, undergoes comprehensive sanitization before being processed or displayed. The system should escape special characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and javascript keywords in user input before performing URL conversion. Implementing a whitelist-based approach for acceptable URL schemes and domains can also prevent injection of malicious links. Security patches should be applied immediately to address the underlying vulnerability in Subtext 2.0, and developers should adopt secure coding practices that prevent XSS by default. The mitigation approach should also include implementing content security policies and using proper HTTP headers to reduce the impact of successful XSS attacks. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other system components. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of defense-in-depth strategies and proper input sanitization in web application security, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for phishing attacks that can leverage XSS as an initial compromise vector.