Source: cve@mitre.org
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the eluna Page Comments (eluna_pagecomments) extension 1.1.2 and earlier for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
CVE-2008-5795 exposes a critical cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the eluna Page Comments extension for TYPO3, allowing attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript. Successful exploitation can lead to account compromise, data theft, and website defacement, severely impacting the confidentiality and integrity of the affected web application.
Step 1: Payload Delivery: An attacker crafts a malicious HTML or JavaScript payload. This payload is designed to perform actions like stealing cookies, redirecting users, or defacing the website. Step 2: Payload Injection: The attacker submits the crafted payload through the comment form provided by the eluna Page Comments extension. The extension, due to the vulnerability, fails to sanitize the input. Step 3: Payload Storage: The malicious payload is stored in the database alongside the other comments. Step 4: Payload Execution: When a legitimate user views the page containing the malicious comment, the browser renders the injected HTML or executes the JavaScript payload. Step 5: Impact: The injected code executes within the context of the user's browser, allowing the attacker to perform actions as the user, such as stealing their session cookies, redirecting them to a phishing site, or modifying the content of the page.
The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the eluna Page Comments extension. Specifically, the extension fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it on the webpage. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript or HTML tags into comment fields. When other users view the page containing the malicious comment, their browsers execute the injected code, leading to XSS. The root cause is likely a missing or inadequate implementation of functions to escape or encode user-provided input before it is displayed, allowing for the injection of arbitrary HTML and JavaScript.
Due to the age of the vulnerability, it's unlikely to be directly associated with specific APT groups. However, any threat actor with basic skills could exploit this vulnerability. The impact aligns with the tactics and techniques of various groups seeking to compromise web applications for data theft, defacement, or initial access. This vulnerability is not listed on the CISA KEV at this time, but older vulnerabilities can be used as part of a larger attack chain.
Monitor web server logs for unusual HTTP requests containing JavaScript or HTML tags in comment fields (e.g., <script>, <iframe>, onload).
Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with XSS protection rules to block malicious payloads.
Analyze network traffic for suspicious JavaScript execution or redirects originating from the affected website.
Use a Content Security Policy (CSP) to restrict the sources from which the browser can load resources, mitigating the impact of XSS attacks.
Upgrade the eluna Page Comments extension to a patched version (if available).
If no patch is available, remove the eluna Page Comments extension entirely.
Implement robust input validation to sanitize all user-supplied data before storing it in the database.
Implement output encoding (e.g., HTML entity encoding) to escape special characters when displaying user-supplied data.
Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter malicious requests.
Regularly scan the website for vulnerabilities using a web vulnerability scanner.
Implement a Content Security Policy (CSP) to mitigate the impact of XSS attacks.