CVE-2009-1294 in Teaming
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in web/guest/home in the Liferay 4.3.0 portal in Novell Teaming 1.0 through SP3 (1.0.3) allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) p_p_state or (2) p_p_mode parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1294 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Liferay portal software ecosystem, specifically affecting Novell Teaming 1.0 through SP3 versions. This vulnerability resides in the web/guest/home component of the Liferay 4.3.0 portal implementation, making it accessible to remote attackers who can exploit the weakness to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content. The vulnerability manifests through two distinct parameter injection points: p_p_state and p_p_mode, which are fundamental components of the portal's parameter handling mechanism. These parameters are typically used to manage the state and mode of portlets within the portal environment, but their improper validation creates an avenue for malicious code injection that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows the classic XSS attack pattern where attacker-controlled input flows directly into the web application's output without proper sanitization or encoding. When the p_p_state or p_p_mode parameters contain malicious script content, the vulnerable portal fails to properly validate or escape these inputs before rendering them in the user's browser context. This failure allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting flaws as the improper handling of untrusted data within web applications, making it a direct manifestation of this well-known weakness category.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-1294 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to user accounts within the portal environment. Remote attackers can craft malicious URLs containing the vulnerable parameters, which, when clicked by authenticated users, execute malicious scripts in their browsers. This capability allows for session manipulation, data exfiltration, and potential privilege escalation within the portal's access control model. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of affected Novell Teaming installations, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on the portal for collaborative workspaces and document management. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to target specific users or conduct mass attacks against portal users, creating a significant risk for enterprise environments where sensitive business data is managed through the portal infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the portal's parameter handling code. Organizations should implement strict validation of the p_p_state and p_p_mode parameters to ensure they contain only expected values and reject any potentially malicious content. The recommended approach involves applying proper HTML encoding to all user-supplied input before rendering it in the portal's output, following the principle of least privilege for parameter handling. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution, while regular security audits of portal components should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input sanitization, particularly for web applications handling user-controllable parameters, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious parameter patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.