CVE-2009-1732 in IPplan
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin/usermanager in IPplan 4.91a allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the grp parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2025
The CVE-2009-1732 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in IPplan version 4.91a, specifically within the admin/usermanager component of the network planning and documentation tool. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The affected grp parameter in the user management interface creates an exploitable vector where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification as CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly escape or encode special characters in user-provided input, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist within the application's user management interface. The impact is particularly severe given that IPplan is designed for network administrators who frequently access administrative interfaces, making the attack surface particularly valuable to threat actors seeking persistent access to network infrastructure management systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized administrative actions. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete compromise of the administrative interface. Attackers could leverage this weakness to escalate privileges, modify user permissions, or gain access to sensitive network documentation and configuration data that IPplan typically stores and manages.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for initial access. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious payloads targeting the grp parameter, which when submitted through the user management interface, executes in the browser context of other users. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be automated, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network administrators regularly interact with the IPplan interface. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader application security assessments, particularly when evaluating administrative web interfaces that handle user management functions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-1732 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the IPplan application. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input, particularly parameters used in administrative interfaces, undergo rigorous sanitization before being processed or displayed. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive parameter validation that rejects or encodes potentially dangerous characters including angle brackets, quotes, and script tags. Additionally, organizations should implement proper content security policies and utilize modern web application frameworks that provide built-in protection against XSS attacks. Regular security updates and patch management procedures should be enforced to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities, while network segmentation and access controls can limit the potential impact of successful attacks. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the IPplan application or similar network management tools.