CVE-2009-2437 in Rentventory
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in Rentventory 1.0.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) username (aka Login) and (2) password parameters in a login action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2437 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Rentventory 1.0.1 web application, specifically affecting the index.php file that handles user authentication processes. This vulnerability resides in the login functionality where the application fails to properly sanitize user input parameters, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The flaw manifests when the application processes the username (also known as Login) and password parameters during login attempts without adequate input validation or output encoding mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's inadequate handling of user-supplied data in the authentication flow. When users attempt to log in, the Rentventory application directly incorporates the username and password values into the web page response without proper sanitization or encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the victim's browser. This represents a classic reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability where the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the application's response, typically via HTTP parameters that are not properly escaped or validated. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, which directly enables the execution of arbitrary web scripts in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive authentication credentials, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the Rentventory system. An attacker could craft malicious login requests containing script payloads that would execute when legitimate users attempt to log in, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting users to phishing sites, or injecting malicious content into the application's interface. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the core authentication mechanism, meaning that successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1531 (Credential Access) and T1566 (Phishing) techniques, as it enables both credential theft and social engineering attacks through the manipulation of authentication interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's authentication flow. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user input parameters before they are processed or displayed in the application's response, particularly in areas that handle authentication credentials. Implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content and utilizing secure coding practices that prevent the reflection of user-supplied data without proper sanitization will effectively neutralize this threat. Additionally, the application should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and consider implementing additional authentication measures such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the overall risk exposure. Organizations should also ensure that all web applications undergo regular security testing including dynamic and static analysis to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in production environments.