CVE-2002-1195 in htCheck
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability (XSS) in the PHP interface for ht://Check 1.1 allows remote web servers to insert arbitrary HTML, including script, via a web page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1195 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the PHP interface of ht://Check version 1.1, a web application security tool designed to scan web pages for various security issues. This particular vulnerability resides within the application's user interface layer, specifically in how it processes and displays user-provided input data. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML content, including executable JavaScript code, directly into the web application's interface through crafted web page requests. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of injection flaws and is classified as CWE-79 according to the Common Weakness Enumeration standard, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the failure of proper input validation and output encoding within the PHP interface components of ht://Check. When the application receives data from remote web servers for scanning purposes, it does not adequately sanitize or escape the input before rendering it within the web page context. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected web pages. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the user interface level, meaning that any user interacting with the application's web interface could potentially be compromised through the execution of injected scripts. The attack vector is straightforward, requiring only that an attacker craft a malicious web page containing the XSS payload and somehow convince a victim to view that page through the vulnerable ht://Check interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that leverage the compromised user sessions. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify page content, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the web application's user interactions, potentially allowing for privilege escalation or further exploitation of the underlying system. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in security scanning tools like ht://Check, as it could be exploited to compromise the security assessment process itself, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security controls or inject malicious code into the scan results. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to the T1059.007 technique related to scripting and T1566.001 for spearphishing with attachments, as it enables the delivery of malicious payloads through web interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1195 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the PHP interface components of ht://Check. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-provided input data before rendering it in web pages, ensuring that any potentially malicious HTML or script content is properly escaped or removed. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Additionally, regular security updates and patches should be applied to ensure that the application remains protected against known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and serves as a reminder of the need for comprehensive security testing including dynamic analysis and penetration testing to identify similar flaws in web interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security audits to detect and prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities in their web applications.