CVE-2009-4859 in Owos Lite
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Online Work Order Suite (OWOS) Lite Edition 3.10 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the show parameter to (1) default.asp and (2) report.asp, and the (3) go parameter to login.asp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2017
The CVE-2009-4859 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the Online Work Order Suite Lite Edition version 3.10. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the web application's parameter handling mechanisms, specifically targeting three distinct endpoints: default.asp, report.asp, and login.asp. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of victim browsers through manipulation of the show and go parameters, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this work order management system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when user-supplied input containing malicious script code is passed through the vulnerable parameters without proper sanitization or encoding. The show parameter in default.asp and report.asp accepts arbitrary input that gets directly embedded into web responses without adequate security controls, while the go parameter in login.asp presents similar risks. This improper handling of user input violates fundamental web security principles and creates persistent attack vectors that can be leveraged across different application modules. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a core weakness category in the CWE taxonomy that specifically addresses XSS vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, manipulate data within the application, and potentially escalate privileges. Attackers could craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when visited by authenticated users, would execute in their browser context and compromise the integrity of the work order management system. The affected environment could see unauthorized access to work orders, sensitive client information, and operational data, potentially leading to business disruption and regulatory compliance violations. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment and T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, as it enables initial access through malicious web content and subsequent command execution within the browser environment.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The recommended approach involves implementing strict parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious input before processing, combined with proper HTML encoding of all dynamic content before rendering in web responses. Additionally, deploying web application firewalls and implementing content security policies can provide additional layers of protection. The fix should also include regular security code reviews and input sanitization practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases, aligning with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks for web application security.