CVE-2008-6465 in H-Sphere
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in login.php in webshell4 in Parallels H-Sphere 3.0.0 P9 and 3.1 P1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) err, (2) errorcode, and (3) login parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6465 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the webshell4 component of Parallels H-Sphere version 3.0.0 P9 and 3.1 P1. This security weakness resides within the login.php script and demonstrates a classic input validation failure that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code in the context of affected users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects three parameter fields: err, errorcode, and login, which are processed during the authentication workflow of the web hosting control panel.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization and output encoding of user-supplied input parameters. When the login.php script processes these parameters without proper validation mechanisms, it fails to escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows an attacker to inject malicious payloads that execute in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various attack vectors including crafted URLs, form submissions, or even via social engineering techniques that trick users into clicking malicious links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive administrative functions within the H-Sphere control panel. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, modify user accounts, access customer data, or even compromise the entire hosting infrastructure. The presence of this flaw in a control panel system like H-Sphere means that successful exploitation could result in widespread damage to multiple hosted websites and their associated data. The vulnerability's remote nature eliminates the need for physical access or network proximity, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on web-based management interfaces.
Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for 'Command and Control' and 'Credential Access' through web-based exploitation methods. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization. The most effective remediation involves implementing strict input filtering that removes or encodes potentially dangerous characters, particularly those used in HTML and JavaScript contexts. Additionally, deploying web application firewalls and implementing proper security headers such as Content Security Policy can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar input validation weaknesses in web applications.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in authentication systems and highlights how seemingly minor security oversights in web applications can lead to significant compromise of entire hosting environments. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that control panel systems are often targeted as entry points for broader network infiltration attempts. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability and implementing comprehensive web application security measures to protect against similar threats in their infrastructure.