CVE-2009-1790 in RESCUE
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in CGI RESCUE Trees before 2.11 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2018
The CVE-2009-1790 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the CGI RESCUE Trees software suite, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.11. This vulnerability resides in the web application layer where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to web browsers. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a fundamental web application security weakness. The attack vector leverages the fact that the application fails to validate or escape user-supplied parameters that are subsequently incorporated into web responses, creating an environment where malicious code can be injected and executed.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input parameters that are processed by the CGI RESCUE Trees application and then reflected back to users without proper sanitization. This creates a persistent XSS condition where the injected scripts can execute in the victim's browser context, potentially accessing session cookies, modifying page content, or redirecting users to malicious sites. The unspecified nature of the vulnerable parameters suggests that multiple input points within the application may be susceptible to this attack, increasing the attack surface and making the vulnerability more challenging to fully mitigate. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in input validation and output encoding practices, which are fundamental security controls recommended by the OWASP Top Ten and the SANS Institute's most critical web application security risks. The weakness essentially allows attackers to bypass the browser's security model and execute unauthorized code within the victim's session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting, session fixation, or data exfiltration from authenticated users. In environments where CGI RESCUE Trees is used for administrative functions or contains sensitive data, the vulnerability could lead to complete system compromise. The attack requires no special privileges or access to the underlying system, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through simple web browser interactions. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on script injection methods that can be leveraged through web interfaces. The vulnerability also represents a breach of the principle of least privilege and input validation, which are core security controls that should be implemented at every layer of web application architecture.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-1790 should prioritize immediate patching to version 2.11 or later, which presumably includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation routines that filter or escape special characters in all user-supplied data before processing or rendering. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution sources. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that proper web application security practices are maintained. Network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious web traffic patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software, as the issue was resolved in a subsequent release, demonstrating that timely patch management is crucial for protecting against known vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security training for developers to prevent similar issues in custom web applications.