CVE-2009-0763 in Kipper
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in default.php in Kipper 2.01 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the charm parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-0763 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw that affects the Kipper 2.01 content management system. This issue manifests in the default.php script where user-supplied input from the charm parameter is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web pages. The flaw creates an opportunity for remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a direct descendant of the well-known web application security weakness.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing script code within the charm parameter and delivers it to unsuspecting users through various means such as phishing emails, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns. When the vulnerable application processes this parameter and includes it directly in the HTML output without proper encoding or filtering, the browser executes the embedded malicious code alongside legitimate content. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify the content of web pages viewed by other users. The attack vector operates entirely within the web application layer and requires no special privileges or access to server-side systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be used to establish persistent malicious presence within the application environment. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform session fixation attacks, steal sensitive user information, or even escalate privileges within the application if the affected system has administrative capabilities. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the web application by allowing unauthorized modification of content and unauthorized access to user data. Organizations relying on Kipper 2.01 for web content management face significant risk of user data compromise and potential system infiltration. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for social engineering and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, demonstrating how such flaws can enable broader attack chains.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms for all user-supplied parameters including the charm parameter. Developers should employ whitelist validation for input data and ensure all dynamic content is properly escaped before inclusion in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security code reviews and automated vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues in other application components. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads targeting such vulnerabilities. The remediation process should follow established security frameworks and guidelines, including OWASP Top Ten recommendations for preventing XSS attacks, ensuring that the fix addresses not only this specific vulnerability but also prevents similar issues throughout the application codebase.