Advisory: Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability in Openconf Conference Management Software

RedTeam found a cross site scripting vulnerability in openconf which results
in possible session takeover.

### Details

- Product: openconf
- Affected Version: 1.04, probably also older versions
- Immune Version: 1.10 (unverified)
- OS affected: all
- Security-Risk: high
- Remote-Exploit: yes
- Vendor-URL: `http://www.openconf.org`
- Vendor-Status: informed, fixed
- Advisory-URL: `https://www.redteam-pentesting.de/advisories/rt-sa-2005-007`
- Advisory-Status: public
- CVE: CAN-2005-0407 (`https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-0407`)

### Introduction

Openconf is a php/mysql based conference management system. Authors can
submit papers and the conference organisers can review these.

Cross site scripting is possible because the user input is not filtered.
Through this the session of a user with higher privileges can be taken over.

### More Details

Inputs from an anonymous author submitting a paper can contain script code.
This code will be executed when another user reviews this paper.

### Proof of Concept

Submit a paper and enter "title \<script\>alert('evil');\</script\>" as title.
The script will be executed when the admin "chair" reviews this paper.

### Workaround

None known.

### Fix

Update to 1.10 (unverified).

### Security Risk

High. Conferences managed by openconf could be arbitrarily influenced.

### History

- 2005-01-xx vendor informed
- 2005-02-12 <support@zakongroup.com> confirmed 1.10 is fixed
- 2005-02-12 CVE number requested
- 2005-02-14 assigned `https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-0407`
- 2005-02-14 posted
- 2009-05-08 Updated Advisory URL

### RedTeam

RedTeam is a penetration testing group working at the Laboratory for
Dependable Distributed Systems at RWTH-Aachen University. You can find more
information on the RedTeam Project at
<https://www.redteam-pentesting.de>