CVE-2009-2480 in Six Apart Movable Type
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in mt-wizard.cgi in Six Apart Movable Type 4.24, and 4.25 when global templates are not initialized, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2480 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the Six Apart Movable Type content management system versions 4.24 and 4.25. This security weakness specifically manifests when global templates have not been properly initialized within the application's configuration. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security flaw that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw exists in the mt-wizard.cgi component of the Movable Type platform, which serves as a configuration and setup utility for the content management system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the wizard script's handling of user-supplied data. When global templates remain uninitialized, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user input before rendering it in web responses. This creates an environment where remote attackers can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content through unspecified vectors that likely involve form submissions or parameter manipulation within the wizard interface. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects the core administrative functionality of the content management system, potentially allowing attackers to execute malicious code in the context of users' browsers who interact with compromised pages.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are significant for organizations utilizing Six Apart Movable Type 4.24 or 4.25. Attackers could exploit this weakness to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, deface websites, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require local system access or authentication to the Movable Type application to carry out attacks. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where the content management system is publicly accessible or where administrators might be tricked into visiting compromised administrative interfaces. The fact that the vulnerability only occurs when global templates are not initialized suggests that organizations might be vulnerable if they have not properly configured their Movable Type installations, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by threat actors targeting web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected Movable Type versions to the latest available security releases from Six Apart. Organizations should ensure that all global templates are properly initialized during the installation and configuration process of Movable Type systems. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual administrative access patterns and attempts to manipulate wizard scripts. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely map to T1059.007 for script injection techniques and potentially T1566 for initial access through web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to add additional layers of protection against XSS attacks. Regular security assessments of web applications and proper security configuration management practices are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced through misconfigurations or incomplete installation procedures.