CVE-2009-4382 in Phpfaber Content Management System
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in module.php in PHPFABER CMS, possibly 1.3.36, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the mod parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2025
The CVE-2009-4382 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the PHPFABER Content Management System, specifically affecting version 1.3.36 and potentially other iterations within the same release line. This vulnerability resides in the module.php file and demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input received through the mod parameter, creating an avenue for persistent malicious code injection.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the mod parameter in the module.php script, which serves as the primary entry point for module loading within the CMS architecture. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable application, get executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who visit pages containing the injected content. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly escape or sanitize user-controllable data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by remote attackers from anywhere on the internet.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-4382 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can lead to complete session hijacking, credential theft, and the execution of malicious commands on behalf of authenticated users. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to redirect victims to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or even modify content within the CMS itself if the victim possesses administrative privileges. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as the malicious scripts can be delivered through email attachments or compromised web pages that redirect users to exploit the vulnerability. Additionally, the persistent nature of XSS vulnerabilities means that once exploited, the malicious code can continue to affect users until the vulnerability is patched or the injected content is removed from the application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the PHPFABER CMS to the latest available version that addresses the input sanitization flaw in module.php. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, particularly for all parameters that are directly incorporated into web page generation. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, while regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack. Network-based intrusion detection systems can also be configured to monitor for patterns consistent with XSS attack payloads targeting this specific vulnerability.