CVE-2002-2107 in OpenKeyServer
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the lookup script in Veridis OpenKeyServer (OKS) 1.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2107 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Veridis OpenKeyServer version 1.2 implementation. This security weakness resides in the lookup script functionality that processes user input through the search parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects the web application interface of OpenKeyServer 1.2, where input validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content.
This cross-site scripting vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-79, which defines the weakness as the failure to properly neutralize user-controllable input data when generating web content. The flaw manifests when the application receives a search parameter that contains malicious script code, which is then executed by the victim's browser without proper sanitization or encoding. The attack vector involves remote exploitation where an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script payload in the search parameter, which gets processed by the vulnerable lookup script and subsequently rendered to unsuspecting users who access the malicious link.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive authentication tokens, or redirect users to malicious sites. An attacker could craft a payload that steals cookies containing session information, allowing unauthorized access to user accounts within the OpenKeyServer environment. Additionally, the vulnerability could be exploited to inject malicious HTML content that modifies the web interface, potentially leading to further escalation attacks or data exfiltration. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can exploit it from any location without requiring physical access to the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user input through strict validation processes that reject or encode potentially dangerous characters before processing. Organizations should implement proper HTML encoding for all dynamic content generated from user input, ensuring that special characters like angle brackets, quotes, and script tags are properly escaped. Additionally, implementing a content security policy that restricts script execution and employing proper web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input sanitization and output encoding practices as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, particularly addressing the prevention of cross-site scripting attacks through proper data validation and encoding mechanisms.