CVE-2002-1533 in Jetty
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Jetty JSP servlet engine allows remote attackers to insert arbitrary HTML or script via an HTTP request to a .jsp file whose name contains the malicious script and some encoded linefeed characters (%0a).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1533 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Jetty JSP servlet engine that enables remote attackers to execute malicious code through carefully crafted HTTP requests. This vulnerability specifically targets the processing of .jsp files where the filename contains embedded malicious script content along with encoded linefeed characters. The flaw exploits the insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Jetty web server's JSP handling component, creating a pathway for attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or script code into web applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the web server's failure to properly sanitize and encode user-supplied input before processing JSP filenames. When a malicious request is made to a .jsp file with a specially crafted name containing encoded linefeed characters, the Jetty servlet engine processes this input without adequate filtering, allowing the embedded script to be executed in the context of the victim's browser. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a reflected XSS variant where the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the server's response.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user data, deface web applications, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects web applications hosted on Jetty servers that process JSP files with user-controllable filenames, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users can upload or otherwise influence file naming conventions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to compromise user sessions, inject malicious content into web pages, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive information through the browser's context.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected Jetty versions and ensuring proper input validation on all user-supplied data. The mitigation strategies should include implementing Content Security Policy headers, sanitizing all user input through proper encoding techniques, and configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests containing encoded characters. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components and establish robust input validation processes that align with OWASP Top Ten security recommendations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for Scripting, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through web-based interfaces and emphasizing the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices.