CVE-2008-7269 in SiteEngine
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in api.php in SiteEngine 5.x allows user-assisted remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a URL in the forward parameter in a logout action.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2024
The CVE-2008-7269 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw discovered in SiteEngine 5.x software, specifically within the api.php component. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly verify the legitimacy of URLs provided by users. The flaw manifests when the application processes a logout action that includes a forward parameter containing a URL, which is then used to redirect users after authentication termination. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within a user-assisted attack model, meaning that an attacker can manipulate the redirect behavior without requiring direct system compromise or elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to validate the forward parameter against a whitelist of approved domains or to ensure that the redirect URL points to legitimate internal resources. When a user performs a logout action and the forward parameter contains an external URL, the system blindly processes this input and executes the redirect without proper verification. This behavior creates an exploitable condition where attackers can craft malicious URLs that appear to originate from legitimate SiteEngine domains, thereby bypassing user trust mechanisms and security controls. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-601, which specifically addresses open redirect vulnerabilities, and represents a classic example of insecure redirect handling that has been documented across numerous web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple redirection functionality and creates significant security risks for organizations using SiteEngine 5.x. Attackers can leverage this flaw to conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns by redirecting users to malicious websites that mimic legitimate authentication portals or corporate resources. The vulnerability enables man-in-the-middle attacks where users might unknowingly provide credentials or sensitive information to attackers' sites. Additionally, the open redirect can be used to spread malware through drive-by downloads or to manipulate user behavior by directing them to compromised sites that exploit browser vulnerabilities. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can undermine the integrity of the entire authentication system.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, starting with immediate patching of affected SiteEngine installations to the latest available versions that contain proper input validation. The recommended approach involves implementing strict URL validation mechanisms that either maintain a whitelist of approved redirect destinations or perform thorough domain verification before executing any redirects. Security controls should include validating that redirect URLs either point to the same domain as the originating application or explicitly approve specific external domains through a secure configuration mechanism. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional layers of defense by monitoring and blocking suspicious redirect patterns, while user education programs should emphasize the importance of verifying destination URLs before proceeding with authentication actions. The remediation process should also include thorough code review to ensure similar vulnerabilities are not present in other application components, following the ATT&CK framework's guidance on preventing web application vulnerabilities through proper input sanitization and validation practices.