CVE-2003-0801 in Electronic Documentation
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Nokia Electronic Documentation (NED) 5.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web script and steal cookies via a URL to the docs/ directory that contains the script.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0801 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Nokia Electronic Documentation version 5.0, specifically affecting the docs/ directory handling mechanism. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the web application framework. The vulnerability enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code through carefully crafted URLs that target the documentation directory, creating a persistent threat vector for unauthorized code execution. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices that violate fundamental web application security principles and represents a classic example of insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious URL containing embedded script code and directs a victim to access the vulnerable documentation directory. The application fails to properly encode or validate the URL parameters before rendering them in the web response, allowing the injected script to execute within the victim's browser context. This creates a persistent session hijacking opportunity where attackers can steal session cookies, user authentication tokens, and other sensitive information. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for "Phishing with Malicious Attachment" and T1071.001 for "Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols" in the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass comprehensive session compromise and potential privilege escalation within the affected web application. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to user accounts, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, and potentially gain access to sensitive documentation or system resources. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the web application, undermining user trust and potentially exposing corporate intellectual property. Organizations utilizing Nokia Electronic Documentation 5.0 face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized access, particularly in environments where the documentation system contains sensitive business or technical information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the application code. The most effective remediation involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters before processing and ensuring proper HTML encoding of dynamic content in web responses. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices and input validation, aligning with OWASP Top Ten security controls. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in legacy applications, while user education regarding suspicious URL behavior remains essential for comprehensive defense against social engineering aspects of this attack vector.