CVE-2002-0944 in LiveStats
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in DeepMetrix LiveStats 5.03 through 6.2.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary script as the LiveStats user via the (1) user-agent or (2) referrer, which are not filtered by the stats program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0944 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within DeepMetrix LiveStats software versions 5.03 through 6.2.1. This security weakness enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications that process user input without proper sanitization. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of user-agent and referrer HTTP headers, which are commonly used by web analytics tools to track visitor information and navigation patterns. These headers are routinely processed by the LiveStats application and subsequently displayed in web interfaces without adequate input validation or output encoding.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly filter or sanitize user-provided data within HTTP headers. When the LiveStats system processes incoming requests, it directly incorporates user-agent and referrer values into its output without performing necessary security checks or data sanitization. This design flaw creates an environment where malicious actors can craft specially crafted HTTP requests containing script code within these headers. When the vulnerable application displays this information in its web interface, the embedded scripts execute within the context of the victim's browser session, potentially compromising user security and data integrity. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a reflected XSS attack vector where malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the compromised user context. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface web pages, or harvest sensitive information from authenticated sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer and does not require any special privileges or access to the server itself. Since the affected software is designed for web analytics purposes, it typically runs with sufficient privileges to access user data and potentially interact with other web applications within the same domain. This makes the vulnerability exploitable in environments where users may have administrative access or where the analytics tool is integrated with other security-sensitive applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the LiveStats application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of DeepMetrix LiveStats or implement web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script payloads in HTTP headers. The solution must include comprehensive sanitization of all user-provided input, particularly HTTP headers, before they are processed or displayed in web interfaces. Additionally, implementing content security policies and proper header sanitization can prevent script execution even if the underlying vulnerability persists. Security practitioners should also consider monitoring for unusual patterns in user-agent and referrer headers that might indicate exploitation attempts, and establish regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, where attackers leverage web application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code in user browsers.