CVE-2009-3821 in Solr
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Apache Solr Search (solr) extension 1.0.0 for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2019
The CVE-2009-3821 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Apache Solr Search extension version 1.0.0 for TYPO3 content management system. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues. The vulnerability specifically affects the TYPO3 platform's integration with Apache Solr search functionality, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of victim browsers. The flaw exists in how the extension handles input data from user interactions, particularly within search queries or other user-supplied parameters that are subsequently rendered in web pages without proper sanitization or encoding.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of user input within the Solr extension's search functionality. When users perform searches or interact with search results through the TYPO3 interface, the extension fails to properly escape or encode special characters in the data before rendering it in HTML contexts. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that gets executed when other users view the affected search results or pages. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple input points within the search extension could potentially be exploited, making the attack surface broader than initially apparent. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface web pages, or perform other malicious activities that compromise user security and data integrity.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-3821 extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly by attackers. Organizations using TYPO3 with the vulnerable Solr extension face significant risks including unauthorized access to user sessions, data exfiltration, and potential compromise of entire web applications. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers do not require local system access or authentication credentials to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing websites. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can enable more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within network environments. The impact is compounded by the fact that TYPO3 is widely used in enterprise environments, meaning a successful exploitation could affect numerous organizations simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-3821 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of the Apache Solr extension for TYPO3, as the vulnerability was resolved in subsequent releases through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Security teams should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including application-level filtering, HTML encoding of all user-supplied content, and regular security audits of third-party extensions. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though they should not be relied upon as the sole mitigation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security testing including dynamic application security testing and static code analysis of third-party components. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) techniques, as attackers can use the XSS vector to deliver phishing content or execute malicious commands through compromised user sessions. Regular security awareness training for developers and administrators is essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future implementations and to ensure proper secure coding practices are followed throughout the software development lifecycle.