CVE-2008-6969 in Avactis Shopping Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in checkout.php in Avactis Shopping Cart 1.8.0 and 1.8.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) step_id and (2) CHECKOUT_CZ_BLOWFISH_KEY parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6969 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Avactis Shopping Cart version 1.8.0 and 1.8.1 software. This vulnerability exists within the checkout.php script which serves as a crucial component for processing customer transactions in e-commerce environments. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code directly into the web application's response. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in e-commerce platforms where sensitive customer data flows through the system, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking to exploit user trust and access valuable information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through two specific parameter injection points within the checkout.php script. The first vulnerable parameter is step_id which likely controls the progression of the checkout process, while the second parameter CHECKOUT_CZ_BLOWFISH_KEY appears to be related to cryptographic key handling for checkout security. Both parameters receive user-supplied input without adequate validation or sanitization measures, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute within the context of other users' browsers. This type of 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, resulting in the execution of unintended code. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, enabling the malicious code to run in the victim's browser context with the same privileges as the legitimate user.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-6969 extends beyond simple script injection, creating potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks within the e-commerce environment. Attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface the shopping cart interface, or even harvest sensitive customer information such as credit card details, personal identification data, or login credentials. The vulnerability's presence in the checkout process makes it particularly dangerous as this phase typically involves the most sensitive transactional data within the shopping cart system. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability would fall under the T1059.001 technique category for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting web applications through script injection methods. The attack could potentially lead to complete compromise of the e-commerce platform's user data and financial transaction integrity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Avactis Shopping Cart application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters before processing them, particularly those used in dynamic content generation within the checkout flow. Implementing proper HTML entity encoding on all output data prevents malicious scripts from executing even if injected into the application. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to add an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security audits and input validation practices as recommended by OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, specifically addressing the prevention of XSS vulnerabilities in web applications. Additionally, upgrading to a patched version of Avactis Shopping Cart or migrating to a more secure e-commerce platform represents the most comprehensive long-term solution to eliminate this exposure.