CVE-2008-6360 in ImpressCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the userranks feature in modules/system/admin.php in ImpressCMS 1.0.2 final allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the rank_title parameter. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2018
The CVE-2008-6360 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the ImpressCMS content management system version 1.0.2 final, specifically affecting the userranks administrative feature. This vulnerability resides in the modules/system/admin.php file and demonstrates a classic input validation failure that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it targets the administrative interface, potentially allowing attackers to compromise the entire system through unauthorized privilege escalation or session hijacking techniques.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the rank_title parameter, which serves as an input field for defining user rank titles within the administrative system. When an attacker submits malicious script code through this parameter, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before rendering it in the web page response. This lack of proper input validation creates an environment where attacker-controlled content can be executed in the browser context of legitimate users who access the affected administrative interface. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding, allowing malicious scripts to execute.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive administrative functions and user data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to user accounts, modify content, alter user permissions, or even escalate privileges to full administrative control. The attack surface is particularly dangerous because it targets the system's administrative interface, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate user rank configurations, modify system settings, or create backdoor access points. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which describes the use of script-based commands and payloads to compromise systems, making it a significant vector for further exploitation within a compromised environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6360 should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding measures. The primary solution involves implementing proper parameter sanitization and HTML encoding for all user-supplied inputs before rendering them in web pages. System administrators should ensure that the rank_title parameter undergoes strict validation to reject or encode potentially malicious content including script tags, javascript protocols, and other XSS payload indicators. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and the principle of defense in depth, where multiple layers of security controls work together to prevent successful exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components and ensure overall system resilience against similar attack vectors.