CVE-2009-0026 in Jackrabbit
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Apache Jackrabbit before 1.5.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the q parameter to (1) search.jsp or (2) swr.jsp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2024
Apache Jackrabbit version 1.5.1 and earlier contains multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that pose significant security risks to web applications utilizing this content management system. These vulnerabilities specifically affect the search.jsp and swr.jsp pages where the q parameter fails to properly sanitize user input, creating opportunities for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated users' browsers. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the search functionality of the Jackrabbit web interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious payloads in the q parameter that, when processed by the vulnerable search.jsp or swr.jsp endpoints, get executed in the victim's browser context. This allows for session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, or redirection to malicious sites. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation or data exfiltration when combined with other vulnerabilities.
The operational implications of CVE-2009-0026 are substantial for organizations relying on Apache Jackrabbit for content management. Remote attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities without requiring authentication, making them particularly dangerous as they can be leveraged by anyone with access to the affected web application. The attack surface includes any web application that uses Jackrabbit's search functionality, potentially compromising user sessions and exposing sensitive content management data. This vulnerability specifically targets the web interface components rather than the underlying repository, making it accessible through standard web browser interactions.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Apache Jackrabbit version 1.5.2 or later where these XSS vulnerabilities have been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding implementations. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious input patterns, deploying content security policies to restrict script execution, and conducting regular security assessments of web interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation at multiple layers of web application architecture, as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten security principles. Security teams should also consider implementing proper logging and monitoring to detect exploitation attempts and ensure that all web applications using Jackrabbit are regularly updated to maintain security posture against known vulnerabilities.