CVE-2008-7072 in Chipmunk Topsites
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in Chipmunk Topsites allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the start parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The CVE-2008-7072 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Chipmunk Topsites web application, specifically within the index.php script. This vulnerability resides in the handling of user-supplied input through the start parameter, which fails to properly sanitize or validate data before incorporating it into the web page response. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the Chipmunk Topsites application. When the start parameter is processed without proper sanitization, any HTML or JavaScript code submitted by an attacker gets directly embedded into the page output. This creates an environment where malicious payloads can be executed when other users view the affected page, as the browser interprets the injected content as legitimate script rather than malicious input. The vulnerability specifically maps 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 attackers to inject malicious scripts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to manipulate user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. An attacker could craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that would execute when users click on them or when the application displays the affected page. This could lead to session fixation attacks, where attackers establish a known session identifier for a victim, or more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting through form submission interception. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531, which covers the use of malicious scripts to gain access to user sessions and perform unauthorized actions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate input validation issue and broader application security practices. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic page generation. The application should validate the start parameter to ensure it contains only expected values or properly encode any content before rendering it in the browser context. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) header would provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments to identify similar input handling vulnerabilities and implement automated testing for XSS conditions as part of their development lifecycle. The fix should align with secure coding practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and other industry standards to prevent similar issues in future application versions.