CVE-2008-7089 in Pligg
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Pligg 9.9 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the keyword parameter in a search action to user.php and other unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7089 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Pligg versions 9.9 and earlier. This security weakness resides within the application's handling of user input, specifically in the keyword parameter processing within the user.php script and other unspecified vectors. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter malicious content submitted by users. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious payloads that leverage the search functionality to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the application's response, thereby enabling unauthorized code execution within the context of victim browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization. The attack vector specifically targets the keyword parameter in search operations, which are processed through the user.php endpoint and potentially other unspecified components within the Pligg framework. This flaw demonstrates a classic lack of proper input sanitization, where user-supplied data flows directly into HTML output without appropriate encoding or filtering mechanisms. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to execute malicious code in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the affected system.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, particularly for web applications that rely on user-generated content and search functionality. An attacker could craft malicious search queries containing JavaScript payloads that would execute whenever other users view search results or interact with the affected application. This could result in unauthorized access to user sessions, data exfiltration, defacement of web content, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability's widespread nature within the Pligg platform means that any user interacting with search functionality could become a victim of such attacks. Furthermore, the persistence of this flaw across multiple unspecified vectors suggests a systemic issue in the application's security architecture rather than an isolated incident, indicating potential cascading effects throughout the system's user interaction components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-7089 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Pligg versions to ensure proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms are implemented. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures that properly escape or filter all user-supplied data before incorporating it into web page responses. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase. Additionally, implementing proper parameter validation and output encoding techniques aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which addresses social engineering through malicious input, and supports the broader security principle of defense in depth. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting known XSS patterns, while ensuring that all user interactions with search and input functionality are properly sanitized to prevent unauthorized code execution within the application's user context.