CVE-2004-1659 in CuteNews
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in CuteNews 1.3.6 and earlier allows remote attackers with Administrator, Editor, Journalist or Commenter privileges to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the mod parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2025
The CVE-2004-1659 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in CuteNews version 1.3.6 and earlier, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within web applications. This vulnerability specifically affects the index.php script and operates through the mod parameter, which serves as an entry point for various administrative and user-facing functionalities within the content management system. The flaw exists because the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages, creating an avenue for malicious code injection that can be executed in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of the mod parameter, which is typically used to determine which module or functionality should be loaded within the CuteNews interface. When administrators, editors, journalists, or commentators access the system with elevated privileges, the application processes the mod parameter without adequate validation or encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's output. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding, making it a classic example of insecure data handling in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data manipulation. Since the vulnerability requires only minimal privileges to exploit, attackers can leverage the access of any user with administrative or content management roles to inject persistent malicious code. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where even low-privilege users can potentially compromise the entire system by injecting scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of content, and potential escalation of privileges. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it operates through legitimate administrative functions, making detection more challenging and exploitation more likely to succeed.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1659 should focus on immediate patching and implementation of robust input validation measures. Organizations must upgrade to versions of CuteNews that address this vulnerability, as the original version contains fundamental security flaws that cannot be adequately remediated through configuration changes alone. Additionally, implementing proper output encoding mechanisms, particularly for user-supplied data that appears in dynamic web content, will prevent the execution of injected scripts. The solution aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which involves the execution of scripts through web applications, and emphasizes the importance of input validation and output encoding as primary defenses. Security practitioners should also implement web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests containing potentially malicious input, while establishing comprehensive monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized modifications to content management systems. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application ecosystem, as this vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient input sanitization can create persistent security risks within content management platforms.