CVE-2002-0205 in Corporate Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (CSS) vulnerability in error.asp for Plumtree Corporate Portal 3.5 through 4.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary script on other clients via the "Description" parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0205 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Plumtree Corporate Portal software ecosystem. This security weakness exists in the error.asp component of Plumtree versions 3.5 through 4.5, where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web responses. The specific parameter exploited is the "Description" field, which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to inject harmful JavaScript code into the application's error handling mechanism. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious payload containing JavaScript code and submits it through the vulnerable Description parameter. When the application processes this input and displays it within the error.asp page, the embedded script executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected page. This creates a persistent threat vector where the malicious code can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious websites, or defacing the portal interface. The attack requires no privileged access and can be executed through simple web requests, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where the portal serves as a central collaboration platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the entire Plumtree Corporate Portal deployment. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access to the corporate network through session hijacking, or to manipulate the portal's functionality to redirect legitimate users to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects all users within the portal environment, creating a widespread risk that can escalate from simple nuisance to serious security incident. Organizations relying on Plumtree for business-critical collaboration and document management face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information, and disruption of business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-0205 should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding practices. The most effective approach involves implementing strict sanitization of all user input, particularly in error handling components, by removing or encoding potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, quotation marks, and script tags. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution and employ web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Additionally, the affected Plumtree versions should be upgraded to patched releases, as this vulnerability was addressed in subsequent software updates. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that all input fields, particularly those used in error handling, properly sanitize user data before rendering in web contexts, aligning with defensive programming practices recommended in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines.