CVE-2009-2380 in 4images
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in includes/functions.php in 4images 1.7 through 1.7.7 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to the url variable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2017
The CVE-2009-2380 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the 4images content management system version 1.7 through 1.7.7. This vulnerability resides within the includes/functions.php file and specifically targets the url variable handling mechanism. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web script or HTML code into the application's response, creating a persistent security risk for users interacting with the vulnerable system. The vulnerability operates by failing to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages, which directly violates fundamental web application security principles.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when the application processes user-provided url parameters without adequate input validation or output encoding. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script tags or other HTML content that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view pages generated by the vulnerable 4images system. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-controllable data. The vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the principle of least privilege and proper input sanitization, as the application does not distinguish between legitimate user input and potentially malicious script content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. When exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially compromising entire user sessions and leading to unauthorized access to administrative functions. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks through malicious links, where the XSS serves as the initial vector for delivering malicious payloads to unsuspecting users. Organizations running vulnerable 4images installations face significant risk of unauthorized access and data compromise, particularly in environments where users may be tricked into clicking malicious links.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the 4images application to version 1.7.8 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper input sanitization. Additionally, administrators should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side filtering, proper output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security auditing of application code. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth against XSS exploitation, while web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input handling issues, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in preventing web application attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools to detect similar issues in other applications within their environment.