CVE-2004-0681 in Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in (1) comersus_customerAuthenticateForm.asp, (2) comersus_backoffice_message.asp, (3) comersus_supportError.asp, or (4) comersus_message.asp in Comersus Cart 5.09 allow remote attackers to execute web script as other users via the message parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0681 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Comersus Cart version 5.09, specifically manifesting in four distinct ASP script files that handle customer authentication, back office messaging, support error reporting, and general message processing. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, creating an environment where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web scripts into web applications that process unfiltered user-supplied data. The affected components include comersus_customerAuthenticateForm.asp, comersus_backoffice_message.asp, comersus_supportError.asp, and comersus_message.asp, all of which fail to properly validate or escape input parameters before rendering them in web responses. The exploitation occurs through the message parameter, which serves as the primary attack vector for injecting malicious scripts that can execute in the context of other users' browsers. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 by enabling attackers to manipulate web applications to execute malicious code in user sessions, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or privilege escalation within the application environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms in its ASP components. When user-supplied data enters through the message parameter without adequate sanitization, the application directly incorporates this data into HTML responses without proper HTML entity encoding or script context validation. This creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious JavaScript code that executes when other users view the affected pages. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it affects core application functions including customer authentication and administrative messaging systems, potentially allowing attackers to compromise user sessions or gain unauthorized access to administrative features. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of defense-in-depth security measures, as the application fails to implement consistent input sanitization across all user-facing components.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, or manipulate the application's functionality to gain unauthorized access to administrative controls. When exploited, these vulnerabilities can lead to complete compromise of user accounts and potentially the entire application infrastructure. The impact is amplified by the fact that the affected components handle critical application functions such as customer authentication and support error reporting, making successful exploitation particularly damaging. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that redirect users to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or modify application behavior in ways that persist across user sessions. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 by potentially enabling attackers to access stored data through compromised user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures across all affected ASP components. Organizations should implement proper HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, ensuring that special characters are properly escaped to prevent script execution. The application should also implement consistent parameter validation across all input points, particularly focusing on the message parameter used in the affected files. Security patches or code modifications must address the root cause by implementing proper sanitization of user input and ensuring that all dynamic content is properly escaped for the target execution context. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to provide additional protection against script injection attacks, though this represents a secondary defense measure rather than a primary fix. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other application components, ensuring comprehensive protection against cross-site scripting threats.