CVE-2009-2138 in TBDev.NET
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple open redirect vulnerabilities in TBDev.NET 01-01-08 allow remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via (1) the returnto parameter to login.php or (2) the returnto parameter in a delete action to news.php. NOTE: this can be leveraged for cross-site scripting (XSS) by redirecting to a data: URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2138 represents a critical open redirect flaw affecting TBDev.NET version 01-01-08, demonstrating a fundamental security weakness in web application input validation and output sanitization. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied redirect parameters within the authentication and content management workflows of the application. The flaw manifests specifically when the application processes the returnto parameter in two distinct locations: the login.php script and the news.php script during delete operations. These parameters are designed to redirect users back to their intended destination after authentication or content modification actions, but the application fails to validate or sanitize the input values before using them in redirect operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the returnto parameter with malicious URLs, enabling unauthorized redirection to external domains. This creates a dangerous attack vector that can be exploited to conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns by redirecting users to attacker-controlled domains that mimic legitimate interfaces. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-601 indicates a weakness in URL redirection where the application fails to validate that the redirect destination is within the application's trusted domain boundaries. The security implications extend beyond simple redirection as the vulnerability can be leveraged to execute cross-site scripting attacks through data: URI redirection, where the attacker can craft malicious URIs that execute scripts in the victim's browser context. This combination of open redirect and XSS capabilities significantly amplifies the threat surface and attack potential.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk for user trust and data integrity within the TBDev.NET application environment. Users who are redirected to malicious sites may unknowingly provide credentials or sensitive information to attackers, while the XSS capabilities through data: URI redirection can compromise user sessions and execute malicious code on the victim's machine. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects core application functionality including user authentication and content management operations, making it difficult for administrators to predict or prevent exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the importance of implementing proper URL sanitization and domain validation mechanisms. Attackers can easily exploit this weakness by crafting URLs with malicious returnto parameters that appear legitimate to users but redirect to phishing sites or malicious code execution points.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement strict domain validation for redirect parameters, ensuring that all redirect destinations are either within the application's trusted domain or explicitly validated against a whitelist of approved external domains. The implementation should follow established security frameworks such as the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and incorporate proper parameter sanitization techniques. Additionally, developers must ensure that the application does not blindly accept user-supplied redirect parameters without verification, and should implement a mechanism to check that the destination URL belongs to the application or an explicitly trusted domain. The solution must also address the XSS vector by preventing data: URI schemes from being processed as valid redirect destinations, as these can be used to execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser context. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of validating all user inputs and implementing proper security controls in web applications to prevent both open redirect and cross-site scripting attacks.