CVE-2004-2017 in Turbotraffictrader C
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Turbo Traffic Trader C (TTT-C) 1.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or web script, as demonstrated via (1) the link parameter to ttt-out, (2) the X-Forwarded-For header in a GET request to ttt-in, (3) the Referer header in a GET request to ttt-in, or the (4) site name or (5) site URL fields in the main control panel.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2017 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Turbo Traffic Trader C version 1.0, a web application designed for traffic management and analytics. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as it involves the improper handling of untrusted data within web applications, specifically allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The flaw exists due to inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the application's processing pipeline, creating multiple attack vectors that can be exploited without authentication or prior user interaction.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through several distinct entry points within the application's communication framework. The primary attack vector involves manipulating the link parameter in requests directed to the ttt-out endpoint, where unfiltered user input is directly embedded into web responses without proper HTML escaping or context-aware sanitization. Additionally, the application fails to properly sanitize HTTP headers, specifically the X-Forwarded-For and Referer headers when processed by the ttt-in endpoint, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts through these commonly used header fields. The vulnerability also extends to the main control panel where site name and site URL fields receive insufficient input validation, enabling persistent XSS attacks through administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary code within users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. Attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive information, and perform unauthorized actions within the application's administrative functions. The persistence of these vulnerabilities across multiple input vectors increases the attack surface and reduces the effectiveness of traditional perimeter-based security controls. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for malicious file execution through web-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-2017 require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-controllable parameters. The application must implement strict sanitization of all HTTP headers and URL parameters, utilizing context-specific encoding methods such as HTML entity encoding for web content and proper URL encoding for parameters. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls to filter malicious payloads and implement content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution. The most effective long-term solution involves comprehensive code review and remediation of the application's input handling mechanisms, ensuring all user-supplied data is properly validated against whitelisted patterns and sanitized before being processed or stored. Additionally, regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components.