CVE-2004-0617 in ArbitroWeb
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in ArbitroWeb 0.6 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary script or HTML via the rawURL parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0617 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw affecting ArbitroWeb version 0.6, a web-based arbitration management system. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of injection attacks that exploit the trust a web application places in user-provided data. The specific weakness lies in how the application processes the rawURL parameter without adequate input validation or output sanitization, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it enables remote code execution without requiring any authentication or privileged access, making it accessible to anyone who can interact with the affected web interface.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the rawURL parameter and delivers it to unsuspecting users. When victims click on the malicious link or visit a page containing the crafted URL, the web application fails to properly sanitize the input before rendering it in the browser. This allows the injected script to execute in the victim's browser context, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing actions on behalf of the user. The vulnerability specifically affects the rawURL parameter, indicating that the application likely uses this parameter to construct URLs or display web content without proper security controls. According to CWE guidelines, this represents a CWE-79: Cross-site Scripting vulnerability, which is categorized as a critical security weakness in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the victim's browser environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access through session hijacking, perform phishing attacks by redirecting users to fraudulent sites, or even execute more complex malicious payloads that exploit other browser vulnerabilities. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can operate from anywhere in the world, making detection and mitigation particularly challenging. Organizations using ArbitroWeb 0.6 are at risk of having their users' browsers compromised, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive arbitration data, financial information, or personal details stored within the system. The vulnerability also creates potential for privilege escalation if the application's user roles are not properly isolated, as attackers could manipulate the application behavior through script injection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data, particularly parameters like rawURL that are used in dynamic content generation. This aligns with the ATT&CK framework's mitigation recommendations for preventing command injection and script injection attacks. Organizations should implement strict input sanitization techniques, including HTML entity encoding, regular expression validation, and proper parameterized queries to prevent script execution. Additionally, deploying web application firewalls and implementing content security policies can provide additional layers of protection. The system administrators should also consider implementing proper error handling that prevents the exposure of internal system information and ensure that all web applications undergo regular security assessments. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation at all levels of web application development, as recommended by industry standards including OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for secure coding practices.