CVE-2014-8307 in Cart Engine
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in skins/default/outline.tpl in C97net Cart Engine before 4.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) path parameter in the "drop down TOP menu (with path)" section or (2) print_this_page variable in the footer_content_block section, as demonstrated by the QUERY_STRING to (a) index.php, (b) checkout.php, (c) contact.php, (d) detail.php, (e) distro.php, (f) newsletter.php, (g) page.php, (h) profile.php, (i) search.php, (j) sitemap.php, (k) task.php, or (l) tell.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8307 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the C97net Cart Engine version 3.9 and earlier, specifically affecting the default skin template file outline.tpl. This vulnerability resides in the web application's user interface rendering logic where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being incorporated into dynamic web page content. The flaw manifests in two distinct attack vectors that exploit the application's handling of HTTP query parameters within different sections of the navigation and footer components, creating multiple entry points for malicious code injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the cart engine's template processing system. Attackers can manipulate the path parameter within the dropdown TOP menu functionality or the print_this_page variable in the footer_content_block section to inject malicious scripts. When these parameters are processed through the application's query string handling, the unsanitized input flows directly into HTML output without proper HTML entity encoding or script sanitization. This allows threat actors to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or data exfiltration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple core application pages including index.php, checkout.php, contact.php, detail.php, distro.php, newsletter.php, page.php, profile.php, search.php, sitemap.php, task.php, and tell.php, indicating a widespread exposure throughout the application's functionality. This broad scope means that any user interacting with these pages could potentially become compromised, making the attack surface particularly dangerous for e-commerce environments where sensitive customer data and transaction information are processed. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing web applications.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for phishing with malicious links. Organizations running affected versions of C97net Cart Engine face significant risk of unauthorized access to customer sessions and sensitive data. The remediation approach requires immediate patching to version 4.0 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper parameter validation, HTML escaping for all dynamic content, and regular security code reviews would prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the application's codebase. Security monitoring should also be enhanced to detect anomalous parameter patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.