CVE-2009-2913 in Community Classifieds
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in XZero Community Classifieds 4.97.8 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the URI. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2017
The CVE-2009-2913 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the XZero Community Classifieds 4.97.8 web application, specifically targeting the index.php file. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that allows malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability's presence in the URI parameter indicates that attackers can exploit this weakness through URL manipulation without requiring any special privileges or authentication.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user input received through the URI, allowing malicious scripts to be executed in the context of other users' browsers. When a victim visits a maliciously crafted URL containing injected script code, the web application processes this input without adequate validation, causing the script to execute within the victim's browser session. This creates a persistent security risk where attackers can potentially steal session cookies, deface web pages, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious sites.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability poses significant risks to both the web application's integrity and the privacy of its users. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential account takeovers, data manipulation, and service disruption. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can establish persistent access to user sessions, potentially compromising sensitive classified information or financial data that users might have posted through the classifieds platform. The vulnerability's location in the index.php file suggests that it affects core application functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it could impact all users interacting with the classifieds system.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policy headers. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.008 Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, though more accurately it aligns with T1566.001 Credential Access: Input Injection and T1059.001 Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers can leverage such vulnerabilities to execute malicious commands and scripts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls, regular security testing, and comprehensive input sanitization protocols to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in other parts of their web infrastructure.