CVE-2009-3189 in DigiOz Guestbook
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.php in DigiOz Guestbook 1.7.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search_term parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3189 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the DigiOz Guestbook 1.7.2 web application. This security weakness resides in the search.php script where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to web browsers. The specific parameter affected is search_term, which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the application's response. Such vulnerabilities fall 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 enables attackers to execute malicious code in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing HTML or JavaScript code and submits it through the search_term parameter. When the guestbook application processes this input and displays it in the search results without proper output encoding or sanitization, the injected script executes in the victim's browser. This type of attack leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, allowing attackers to potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the application's input validation and output sanitization mechanisms, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited repeatedly.
The operational impact of this XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the context of web application security. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking, deface the guestbook interface, or redirect users to phishing sites that can harvest credentials. The vulnerability affects all users interacting with the guestbook application, particularly those who may be authenticated or have elevated privileges within the system. This type of vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it exploits the execution of client-side scripts within web browsers. The attack surface is particularly concerning for guestbook applications that may be used in enterprise environments where users trust the application's content and security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-3189 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper encoding before rendering it in web responses, specifically using HTML entity encoding for the search_term parameter. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. The application should also implement proper input validation to reject or sanitize potentially dangerous characters and patterns that could be used in script injection attempts. Security patches should be applied immediately to update the DigiOz Guestbook to a version that addresses this vulnerability, as the original version 1.7.2 is no longer supported and contains multiple security weaknesses. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within their infrastructure.