CVE-2010-4757 in e107
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in submitnews.php in e107 before 0.7.23 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the submitnews_title parameter, a different vector than CVE-2008-6208. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information. NOTE: this might be the same as CVE-2009-4083.1 or CVE-2011-0457.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2019
The CVE-2010-4757 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the e107 content management system prior to version 0.7.23. This vulnerability specifically affects the submitnews.php script which handles news submission functionality within the platform. The issue manifests when the submitnews_title parameter is manipulated by remote attackers, allowing them to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into the application's output. Unlike similar vulnerabilities such as CVE-2008-6208, this particular flaw operates through a distinct attack vector, making it important for security professionals to understand the specific nature of the input validation failure. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input before it is rendered in the web page context, creating an opportunity for malicious code execution in the victim's browser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits a specially crafted news title containing malicious script code through the submitnews.php endpoint. When the application processes this input without proper validation or encoding, the malicious content gets stored and subsequently displayed to other users who view the news item. This creates a persistent cross-site scripting attack where the injected code executes within the context of the victim's browser session, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, deface websites, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content. The attack requires no special privileges and can be executed entirely through web browser interaction, making it particularly dangerous for content management systems that allow user submissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. When exploited successfully, attackers can manipulate the entire news submission system to serve as a vector for more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting, session hijacking, or even as a stepping stone for further network compromise. The persistent nature of stored XSS attacks means that victims who view the malicious news items become unwitting participants in the attack chain, potentially spreading the malicious code to other users within the community. This vulnerability particularly affects e107 installations where user-contributed content is permitted, making it a significant risk for websites that rely on community participation or user-generated news submissions. Organizations running affected versions should consider this vulnerability as a critical security risk that could compromise user data and system integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4757 require immediate patching of the e107 application to version 0.7.23 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Administrators should implement comprehensive output encoding for all user-supplied content, particularly when displaying data in HTML contexts. Input validation should be strengthened to reject or sanitize potentially malicious characters and script tags before processing user submissions. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts even if the primary vulnerability is exploited. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting known XSS vulnerabilities. Given the potential for this vulnerability to be combined with other attack vectors, comprehensive security monitoring and incident response procedures should be established to quickly identify and respond to exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent XSS flaw makes it particularly important to maintain up-to-date security measures and regularly review input handling mechanisms throughout the application.