CVE-2002-2166 in Fusetalk
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in FuseTalk 2.0 and 3.0 allows remote attackers to insert arbitrary HTML and web script.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2024
The CVE-2002-2166 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw identified in FuseTalk versions 2.0 and 3.0, demonstrating a fundamental security weakness in web application input validation mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws that occur when web applications fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code into web pages viewed by other users, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited across multiple user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user input within the FuseTalk platform's message posting and user interface components. When users submit content through the forum interface, the application does not sufficiently filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or script tags. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads containing script code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the compromised content. The vulnerability affects both version 2.0 and 3.0 of the software, indicating it was likely present in the core input handling mechanisms and persisted through multiple releases without proper remediation.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-2166 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for various malicious activities. Attackers can use this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, inject malicious advertisements, or even perform actions on behalf of compromised users if the application lacks proper authentication controls. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in forum environments where users frequently post content and where the trust model between users and the platform is critical. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can execute arbitrary code through script injection, and T1566 for spearphishing with a link, since the vulnerability can be exploited through crafted forum posts or messages.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-2166 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive HTML escaping for all user-supplied content before rendering it on web pages, ensuring that special characters like angle brackets, quotes, and script tags are properly encoded or removed. The recommended approach includes implementing a whitelist-based input validation system that only allows known safe characters and content types, combined with proper output encoding that converts potentially dangerous characters into their HTML entity equivalents. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to provide an additional layer of protection against script execution, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other application components, as this flaw represents a classic example of insufficient input sanitization that remains relevant to modern web application security practices.