CVE-2009-4989 in Aj Auction Pro-oopd
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in AJ Auction Pro OOPD 3.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the txtkeyword parameter in a search action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2025
The CVE-2009-4989 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the AJ Auction Pro OOPD 3.0 web application, specifically targeting the index.php file that handles search functionality. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input received through the txtkeyword parameter during search operations, creating an opening for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of other users' browsers. The affected application processes search queries without adequate input validation or output encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that can persist and execute whenever other users view the search results page.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the txtkeyword parameter in search actions, where attackers can craft malicious payloads that bypass the application's security controls. When the vulnerable application renders search results containing unescaped user input, the injected scripts execute in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This particular implementation vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization practices where the application directly incorporates user-supplied data into dynamic web content without proper HTML escaping or context-appropriate encoding. The flaw exists at the application layer where user input flows directly into the HTTP response without appropriate security measures to prevent script injection.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-4989 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the application environment. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even perform actions on behalf of authenticated users through session hijacking techniques. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the application's user data, as the malicious scripts can access and exfiltrate sensitive information from users' browsers. Additionally, this XSS vulnerability could enable attackers to manipulate the application's functionality, potentially leading to privilege escalation or further exploitation of other vulnerabilities within the same application ecosystem.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user input parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, through proper HTML entity encoding before rendering in web pages. Implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide additional protection against script execution even if input validation fails. The application should also employ proper parameter validation techniques and utilize secure coding practices that prevent direct injection of user data into web responses. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability, while also ensuring regular security updates and patches are applied to prevent similar issues in future versions of the software. This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically focusing on script injection attacks that leverage web application weaknesses.