CVE-2010-4882 in Auto CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in autocms.php in Auto CMS 1.6 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the sitetitle parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4882 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Auto CMS 1.6 content management system. This security weakness exists in the autocms.php script and specifically targets the sitetitle parameter, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output sanitization practices that have been recognized as critical security concerns within web application development for decades.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The sitetitle parameter serves as the attack vector, allowing malicious actors to inject script code that gets executed when other users view the affected page. This type of vulnerability enables attackers to potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface websites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the user interaction level, requiring no special privileges beyond basic web access to exploit.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for Auto CMS users who may not be aware of the security implications. When exploited, the XSS attack can compromise user sessions, leading to unauthorized access to administrative functions or sensitive data exposure. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of web applications by allowing attackers to manipulate content displayed to end users. Organizations relying on Auto CMS 1.6 for their web presence face potential reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and increased attack surface for more sophisticated exploits that may follow. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor security hygiene in software development practices that should have been addressed through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4882 should prioritize immediate patching of the Auto CMS 1.6 application to address the specific XSS vulnerability in autocms.php. System administrators should implement proper input sanitization measures that validate and encode all user-supplied data before it is processed or displayed within web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent script execution from unauthorized sources. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious script injection attempts. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, following ATT&CK framework guidance for web application security. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of implementing proper input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks at multiple layers of application architecture.