CVE-2009-4705 in twittersearch
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Twitter Search (twittersearch) extension before 0.1.1 for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2026
The CVE-2009-4705 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Twitter Search extension for TYPO3 content management system. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 0.1.1 and creates a significant security risk by allowing remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application. The flaw exists within the extension's handling of user input data, creating an avenue for attackers to execute unauthorized code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the twittersearch extension module. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are then executed when other users view the affected search results or pages. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple entry points within the extension could be compromised, potentially including search parameters, user-generated content, or configuration values. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security flaw that allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data manipulation, and redirection to malicious websites. When users interact with search results containing malicious scripts, their browsers execute the injected code, potentially compromising their sessions and exposing sensitive information. The vulnerability particularly affects TYPO3 environments where the twittersearch extension is installed, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on this content management platform for their web presence. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, modify content, or redirect users to phishing sites that mimic legitimate services.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately upgrade to version 0.1.1 or later of the twittersearch extension to remediate the XSS flaw. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including input validation, output encoding, and regular security assessments of TYPO3 extensions. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for any suspicious activity related to the search functionality and implementing proper web application firewall rules to detect and block malicious payloads. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the use of malicious inputs to exploit web applications, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive input sanitization and validation across all user-facing application components. Regular security patching and extension management practices become critical in preventing exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other TYPO3 modules and third-party components.