Bugtraq: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in phpWebSite 1.4.0 search

From: Audun Larsen <audun_at_munio.no>
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:12:08 +0100

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Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in phpWebSite 1.4.0 search
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Author: Audun Larsen (larsen at xqus dot com)
Date: Dec 29, 2007

--AFFECTED SOFTWARE--------------------------

Name: phpWebSite
Version: 1.4.0
Release date: Dec 11, 2007

Developed by the Web Technology Group at Appalachian State University,
phpWebSite provides a complete web site content management system ( CMS ).
All client output is XHTML 1.0 and meets the
W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative requirements.

--DISCUSSION---------------------------------

The phpWebSite CMS is vulnerable to a Non-Persistent (or reflected)
Cross-Site Scripting attack. The problem exists because of the lack
of properly escaping user input before using it to generate links on
the search result page.

--PROOF OF CONCEPT---------------------------

http://phpwebsite.example.com/index.php?module=search&user=search
&search=%22%3E%3Ch1%3EXSS%3C%2Fh1%3E&alternate=local&mod_title=all&submit=Search

--TIMELINE-----------------------------------

Dec 29, 2007: Bug found
Dec 29, 2007: Vendor notified
DEc 31, 2007: Vendor reports that the bug is fixed
Jan 1 , 2008: Posted to Bugtraq

--DISCLAIMER---------------------------------

The information in this advisory and any of its demonstrations is provided
"as is" without warranty of any kind.