CVE-2002-1733 in Message Board
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web-based message board in Prospero Technologies allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a message board post.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1733 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the web-based message board component of Prospero Technologies software. This security weakness resides in the input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The vulnerability specifically affects the message board functionality where users can submit posts containing potentially malicious content that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers. The flaw enables attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code that executes when other users view the affected message board posts.
From a technical perspective this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is embedded into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The flaw occurs because the application does not implement adequate input sanitization or output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious payloads from being interpreted as executable code rather than plain text. When users submit content to the message board, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted by web browsers as HTML or JavaScript commands. This allows attackers to craft malicious posts containing script tags, event handlers, or other HTML elements that execute in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking by stealing cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute commands on behalf of victims. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system or network to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in web-facing applications. Users who browse the message board posts become unwitting participants in the attack, as their browsers execute the injected scripts without their knowledge or consent. This creates a persistent threat vector where malicious content can affect multiple users over time until the vulnerability is patched.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user inputs through proper escaping techniques before rendering them in web pages, which aligns with the remediation recommendations found in the ATT&CK framework for mitigating web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement strict input validation that filters out or encodes potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags. Additionally, the application should employ proper output encoding for all dynamic content, ensuring that any user-supplied data is rendered safely in the browser context. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application. The implementation of a content security policy can also provide an additional layer of protection against script execution, while maintaining proper session management and authentication controls helps prevent unauthorized access to user accounts that could be compromised through this vulnerability.