CVE-2009-1809 in myColex
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in myColex 1.4.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the year parameter to modules/kalender.php, (2) the Page parameter in a List action to modules/ereignis.php, (3) the Kontext parameter in a Search action to modules/kategorie.php, or (4) the image parameter to modules/image.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1809 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting myColex version 1.4.2, a content management system designed for educational institutions. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within several key modules of the application, creating multiple attack vectors that could enable remote adversaries to execute malicious scripts in the context of users' browsers. The flaw specifically targets four distinct parameters across different modules, each representing a separate entry point for potential exploitation. The year parameter in modules/kalender.php, the Page parameter during List actions in modules/ereignis.php, the Kontext parameter during Search actions in modules/kategorie.php, and the image parameter in modules/image.php all suffer from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that executes when other users view the affected pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The attack occurs when user input flows directly into HTML output without appropriate sanitization, creating opportunities for malicious scripts to be executed in the victim's browser context. These vulnerabilities operate under the principle that the application fails to distinguish between legitimate user input and potentially harmful script code, allowing attackers to inject javascript code, html markup, or other malicious payloads that persist in the application's data storage or execution environment. The exploitation requires no special privileges or authentication, making these vulnerabilities particularly dangerous as they can be leveraged by anyone with access to the affected application's URL structure.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-1809 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it creates persistent security risks that can compromise user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious sites. Attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities to hijack user sessions, inject malicious advertisements, or redirect victims to phishing sites that appear legitimate. The consequences are particularly severe in educational environments where myColex systems often contain sensitive student information, academic records, and institutional data. The vulnerabilities create a persistent threat vector that remains active until patched, potentially allowing attackers to establish long-term presence within the application environment and maintain access to compromised systems. Each vulnerable parameter represents a distinct attack surface that could be combined to create more sophisticated attacks, making the overall impact more severe than individual vulnerabilities would suggest.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-1809 must focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all affected modules. Organizations should implement strict sanitization of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, and apply proper HTML escaping techniques before rendering any user input in web pages. The recommended approach includes implementing a whitelist-based input validation system that only accepts known good values, combined with proper output encoding that converts special characters into their HTML entity equivalents. Security patches should be applied immediately to upgrade to a patched version of myColex, while organizations should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns. Additionally, regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, following the principle of defense in depth that aligns with established security frameworks such as those recommended by the OWASP Top Ten project and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in preventing XSS attacks and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.