CVE-2009-1749 in Catviz
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in Catviz 0.4.0 beta 1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) userman_form and (2) webpages_form parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1749 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Catviz web application version 0.4.0 beta 1. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly process user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The vulnerability specifically affects the index.php script which serves as the primary entry point for the application's administrative functionality, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit the system's security weaknesses.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through two distinct parameter injection points within the application's user management and webpage management interfaces. The userman_form and webpages_form parameters receive user input without proper sanitization, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content directly into the application's response. This occurs because the application fails to implement proper output encoding or input validation measures that would normally prevent such injection attacks. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, where improper validation of user-supplied data leads to execution of malicious code in the context of the victim's browser.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code within the context of authenticated sessions. When a victim accesses the compromised application, any malicious scripts injected through these parameters will execute in their browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack vector requires remote exploitation without authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by attackers without requiring any privileged access to the system. This vulnerability directly maps to tactics described in the ATT&CK framework under T1566 - Phishing and T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage web-based attack vectors to establish persistent access to victim systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. The primary fix involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in administrative interfaces. Developers should employ parameterized queries or proper HTML entity encoding when rendering user input back to the browser. Additionally, the application should implement Content Security Policy headers to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, and all user inputs should be validated against whitelisted character sets. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and ISO/IEC 27001 security standards, where input validation and output encoding form fundamental pillars of web application security. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar attack vectors.