CVE-2008-7171 in Lightweight news portal
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Lightweight news portal (LNP) 1.0b allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) photo parameter to show_photo.php, (2) potd parameter to show_potd.php, or (3) the Current question field in a vote action to admin.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7171 represents a critical security flaw in the Lightweight news portal (LNP) version 1.0b that exposes multiple pathways for cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws according to the CWE database. The affected software components include three distinct script injection points within the application's core functionality, making it particularly concerning for organizations relying on this platform for content management and user interaction.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the LNP application's PHP scripts. Attackers can exploit three separate vectors to inject malicious scripts into the web application's response. The first vector targets the photo parameter in show_photo.php, where user-supplied input is directly incorporated into the page output without proper sanitization. The second vector operates through the potd parameter in show_potd.php, which similarly fails to validate or escape user-provided data before rendering it in the browser context. The third and final vector targets the Current question field within the vote action functionality of admin.php, where administrative input fields receive inadequate protection against script injection attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. According to ATT&CK framework's T1059.008 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell," this vulnerability enables attackers to leverage the victim's browser context to execute malicious payloads. The exploitation of these XSS flaws could result in complete compromise of user accounts, data theft, and potential lateral movement within networks where the vulnerable application is deployed. The vulnerability affects both regular users who might encounter malicious scripts during normal browsing and administrators who could be targeted through the vote action field.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-7171 should prioritize immediate input validation and output encoding across all user-supplied parameters. Organizations should implement proper sanitization techniques using functions such as htmlspecialchars() in PHP to escape special characters before rendering user input in web pages. The recommended approach aligns with OWASP's secure coding practices and follows the principle of least privilege in web application security. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs and properly escaping output, as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten 2017 and the ISO/IEC 27001 security standards. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this flaw represents a classic example of insecure data handling that commonly affects web applications.