CVE-2003-5001 in BlackICE PC Protection
Summary
by MITRE • 03/29/2022
A vulnerability was found in ISS BlackICE PC Protection and classified as critical. Affected by this issue is the component Cross Site Scripting Detection. The manipulation as part of POST/PUT/DELETE/OPTIONS Request leads to privilege escalation. The attack may be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-5001 represents a critical security flaw in ISS BlackICE PC Protection software, specifically within its Cross Site Scripting Detection component. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle malicious payloads within HTTP request methods. The flaw manifests when the system processes POST/PUT/DELETE/OPTIONS requests containing crafted cross-site scripting elements, creating a pathway for unauthorized privilege escalation. The vulnerability's classification as critical indicates the potential for significant system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of HTTP request methods that are commonly used in web application interactions. When the BlackICE protection system processes these requests without proper sanitization, malicious scripts embedded within the request parameters can be executed with elevated privileges. This privilege escalation occurs because the system fails to properly validate or filter user-supplied input before processing it through the cross-site scripting detection mechanism. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers can leverage this flaw from external networks without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that the exploit has been publicly disclosed, providing threat actors with readily available attack vectors.
The operational impact of CVE-2003-5001 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential complete system compromise and unauthorized data access. Organizations utilizing unsupported BlackICE PC Protection software face significant risk of unauthorized access to their network infrastructure, as the vulnerability allows attackers to bypass security controls designed to detect and prevent cross-site scripting attacks. The exploitation of this vulnerability could result in unauthorized administrative access, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the network. Given that this vulnerability affects products no longer supported by the maintainer, organizations lack official patches or updates to address the flaw, leaving them exposed to persistent threats. The vulnerability's presence in a security product itself creates a particularly concerning scenario where the tool designed to protect against malicious activities becomes a potential entry point for attackers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-5001 must focus on immediate remediation actions given the vulnerability's critical nature and the lack of official support. Organizations should immediately discontinue use of the unsupported BlackICE PC Protection software and implement alternative security solutions. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit potential attack surface, while comprehensive monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79 which addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and its exploitation pattern corresponds to techniques documented in ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations should also implement robust input validation mechanisms at all network boundaries and ensure that legacy security solutions are properly decommissioned rather than maintained in production environments. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of maintaining current security software and the dangers associated with using unsupported products in enterprise environments.