CVE-2009-0466 in Vivvo
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Vivvo CMS before 4.1.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a URI that triggers a 404 Page Not Found response.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0466 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Vivvo Content Management System version 4.1.0 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes URI requests that result in 404 Page Not Found responses, creating an exploitable condition where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response handling mechanism. The flaw exists in the way the CMS processes and displays error messages, particularly those related to non-existent pages, allowing attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through crafted URI inputs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Vivvo CMS error handling subsystem. When a user requests a non-existent page, the system generates a 404 error page that incorporates the original URI into the response without proper sanitization or encoding. This creates an XSS vector where attackers can embed malicious scripts within the URI path, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they encounter the error page. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly encode or escape user-controllable data before including it in web page output.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface the website, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious sites. An attacker could craft a URI containing malicious JavaScript that would execute in the browser of any user who visits the resulting 404 page, potentially compromising user sessions or stealing cookies. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the system's legitimate error handling mechanism, making it more difficult to detect and prevent compared to direct injection points. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Valid Accounts and T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter through JavaScript, demonstrating how error handling can become an attack surface.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the Vivvo CMS error handling components. System administrators should upgrade to version 4.1.1 or later, which includes proper sanitization of URI parameters before inclusion in 404 error responses. Additionally, organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish proper input validation routines that filter or escape all user-controllable data before processing. The remediation approach should follow the principle of least privilege and input sanitization as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security practices, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly validated and encoded before being incorporated into any web page output. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their CMS components to identify similar vulnerabilities in other error handling mechanisms and maintain updated security configurations to prevent exploitation of similar flaws in the broader application stack.