CVE-2009-4856 in PHP Easy Shopping Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in subitems.php in PHP Easy Shopping Cart 3.1R allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the name parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2025
The CVE-2009-4856 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the PHP Easy Shopping Cart 3.1R web application, specifically within the subitems.php script. This vulnerability resides in the handling of user-supplied input through the name parameter, creating an exploitable condition that enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's response. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices that are essential for web application security. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-79, which represents "Cross-site Scripting" in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, highlighting the core issue of inadequate sanitization of user-provided data. This weakness allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the application's functionality. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the web application's user interface and data handling mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this flaw to manipulate the shopping cart interface, potentially redirecting users to malicious sites or stealing sensitive information from authenticated sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in e-commerce environments where user trust and data confidentiality are paramount, as it creates opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks and credential theft. The flaw represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and proper input sanitization, as the application does not adequately validate or escape user input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This vulnerability is categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript' and demonstrates how attackers can exploit web application flaws to execute malicious code in user browsers. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to implement proper output encoding or sanitization of the name parameter, allowing raw user input to be directly embedded into HTML responses without adequate protection mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-4856 is significant for any organization utilizing PHP Easy Shopping Cart 3.1R, as it creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or specialized tools. The vulnerability enables attackers to craft malicious payloads that can be executed whenever a victim accesses the affected subitems.php page with the crafted name parameter. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited through various attack vectors including phishing emails, malicious links in forums, or compromised web pages that redirect users to the vulnerable application. The attack surface is particularly wide as the vulnerability affects the core shopping cart functionality, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise e-commerce operations. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require advanced technical skills, making it accessible to a broad range of attackers including those with limited cybersecurity knowledge. This accessibility factor increases the likelihood of successful exploitation and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the application. Organizations may experience cascading effects from this vulnerability, as successful exploitation could lead to full compromise of user sessions, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of other application components. The vulnerability also impacts the application's integrity and user trust, as users may encounter unexpected script execution or malicious content during their shopping experience.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4856 must focus on implementing proper input validation, output encoding, and secure coding practices to prevent the injection of malicious content into web responses. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing strict input validation for the name parameter, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed. This includes implementing proper HTML escaping or encoding mechanisms that convert special characters into their HTML entity equivalents, preventing script execution in the browser context. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to add an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify and remediate similar issues in web applications. Organizations should implement automated security scanning tools to detect similar vulnerabilities in their application code and ensure that all user inputs are properly validated and sanitized. The fix should include comprehensive input validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially dangerous characters and patterns commonly used in XSS attacks. Additionally, implementing proper error handling and logging mechanisms can help detect exploitation attempts and provide insights into potential attack patterns. Security patches should be applied immediately to all instances of PHP Easy Shopping Cart 3.1R, as the vulnerability represents a critical risk that can be exploited without user interaction. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing to ensure that the applied fixes do not break existing functionality while effectively preventing the XSS attack vector. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls as additional protective measures to monitor and block suspicious requests that may attempt to exploit similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and the need for continuous security education for development teams to prevent such issues from occurring in the first place.