CVE-2008-6876 in EsPartenaires
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in login.php in EsPartenaires 1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the msg parameter. NOTE: the EsContacts 1.0 issue is covered in CVE-2008-2037.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6876 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw affecting the EsPartenaires 1.0 web application. This issue specifically targets the login.php script where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. The vulnerability manifests through the msg parameter which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response. Such vulnerabilities fall under CWE-79 which defines the weakness of cross-site scripting in web applications where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing HTML or JavaScript code and passes it through the msg parameter during the login process. When the application processes this input and displays it back to the user without adequate sanitization, the injected code executes within the victim's browser context. This creates a persistent security risk where attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the critical importance of implementing proper output encoding mechanisms for all user-supplied data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. Attackers can leverage this XSS flaw to establish persistent access to user sessions, potentially compromising the entire application ecosystem. In the context of EsPartenaires 1.0, which appears to be a business partnership management system, successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive business data, financial information, or confidential partner communications. The vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to perform advanced persistent threats against the organization, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where such applications handle critical business functions. This type of vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which describes the use of malicious file execution to gain access to systems, as the injected scripts can be used to download and execute additional malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The application should implement strict validation of the msg parameter to reject or sanitize any input containing HTML or JavaScript characters before processing. Developers must ensure that all user-supplied data is properly escaped when rendered in the browser context, utilizing techniques such as HTML entity encoding or context-specific escaping mechanisms. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) header can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. The fix should also include comprehensive testing of all input parameters to ensure that no other similar vulnerabilities exist within the application's codebase. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security audits to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.