CVE-2009-4544 in Facil Helpdesk
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in kbase/kbase.php in Cromosoft Technologies Facil Helpdesk 2.3 Lite allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the PATH_INFO.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4544 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Facil Helpdesk 2.3 Lite application developed by Cromosoft Technologies. This security weakness exists in the kbase/kbase.php component where the application fails to properly sanitize input parameters received through the PATH_INFO server variable. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information or session hijacking. The vulnerability specifically exploits the application's insufficient validation of user-supplied data that flows directly into the web page output without proper encoding or sanitization mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation practices within the application's core functionality. When the PATH_INFO variable contains malicious content, the system processes this input without adequate filtering or sanitization before rendering it in the HTML response. This creates an environment where attacker-controlled data can be interpreted as executable JavaScript code by web browsers, allowing for arbitrary script execution. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected XSS attack pattern where malicious payloads are injected through the URL path and immediately executed when the page is rendered. This flaw falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even gain administrative privileges within the helpdesk system. An attacker could craft a malicious URL containing a payload that, when clicked by an authenticated user, would execute the malicious code in their browser context. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, internal system information, or the ability to manipulate helpdesk records. The vulnerability affects all users of the Facil Helpdesk 2.3 Lite application who are authenticated and browsing the knowledge base functionality, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users access the system with varying privilege levels.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The primary fix involves sanitizing all input parameters received through PATH_INFO before processing or displaying them in web responses. This includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for any user-supplied data that appears in the output. Additionally, the application should employ a Content Security Policy (CSP) header to restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Organizations should also consider implementing input whitelisting techniques where only known good characters are accepted, and regular security code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. The remediation approach should align with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions in legitimate functionality.