CVE-2009-4172 in UTF-8 CuteNews
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in CutePHP CuteNews 1.4.6 and UTF-8 CuteNews 8 and 8b, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the body of a news article in an addnews action.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4172 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in CutePHP CuteNews version 1.4.6 and UTF-8 variants 8 and 8b. This security weakness resides within the index.php file and specifically targets the handling of news article content during the addnews action. The vulnerability manifests when the PHP configuration parameter magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, creating an environment where malicious input can be executed without proper sanitization. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code directly into news article bodies, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the CuteNews application framework. When magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, PHP does not automatically escape special characters in GET, POST, and COOKIE data, leaving the application susceptible to malicious input manipulation. The addnews action specifically fails to properly sanitize user-supplied content before storing and displaying it within the web interface, creating a persistent XSS vector. This flaw aligns with CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as the failure to properly escape output data, allowing attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-4172 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could craft a malicious news article containing JavaScript payload that executes when other users view the content, potentially stealing cookies or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of victims. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the news management system, making it particularly dangerous for websites that rely on user-generated content or allow public submissions. This weakness can be exploited through various attack vectors including social engineering to convince users to submit malicious content or direct exploitation of the application's input handling mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding measures. The primary solution involves enabling magic_quotes_gpc or implementing comprehensive sanitization routines that escape special characters in user input before storage and display. Security practitioners should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and employ proper HTML escaping techniques when rendering user content. Additionally, upgrading to patched versions of CuteNews or implementing web application firewalls can provide temporary protection. The remediation approach should follow ATT&CK framework guidance for mitigating XSS vulnerabilities through input validation, output encoding, and security configuration hardening. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could be exploited in similar fashion.