CVE-2009-4521 in birt
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in birt-viewer/run in Eclipse Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) before 2.5.0, as used in KonaKart and other products, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the __report parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
The CVE-2009-4521 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Eclipse Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) platform, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.5.0. This vulnerability manifests in the birt-viewer/run component where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web responses. The flaw occurs when the __report parameter is processed, creating an avenue for remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's output. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly escape special characters in user-provided data, allowing attackers to bypass security controls and execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows the classic XSS attack pattern where malicious input flows through the application's request processing pipeline without proper sanitization. When the __report parameter contains script tags or other malicious content, the BIRT viewer component renders this content directly in the web response without adequate encoding or filtering. This allows attackers to craft specially formatted URLs or form submissions that, when processed by the vulnerable system, execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the core reporting functionality of BIRT, which is commonly deployed in enterprise environments where users trust the application and may have elevated privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-4521 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, defacement of web applications, data theft, and privilege escalation attacks. In enterprise environments using KonaKart or other products built on BIRT, this vulnerability could allow attackers to steal user credentials, access sensitive business intelligence reports, or manipulate report data. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal user interaction beyond navigating to a malicious URL or submitting a crafted form, making it suitable for mass deployment through phishing campaigns or compromised websites. The vulnerability affects both authenticated and unauthenticated users, as the XSS occurs in the viewer component that processes report requests regardless of user authentication status.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to BIRT version 2.5.0 or later where the XSS protection mechanisms have been enhanced. Additional protective measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns, and conducting comprehensive input validation on all user-supplied parameters. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for phishing campaigns. Security teams should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools to identify other potential XSS vulnerabilities in similar reporting and business intelligence platforms within their infrastructure, as this type of flaw often indicates broader input validation weaknesses that may affect other components of the application stack.