CVE-2004-2185 in MediaWiki
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in MediaWiki 1.3.5 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary scripts and/or SQL queries via (1) the UnicodeConverter extension, (2) raw page views, (3) SpecialIpblocklist, (4) SpecialEmailuser, (5) SpecialMaintenance, and (6) ImagePage.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2185 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting MediaWiki version 1.3.5 and potentially earlier releases. This flaw resides in multiple extension points and special pages within the MediaWiki framework, creating a broad attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses. This weakness allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts that can be executed in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions within the wiki environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability spans across several specific components within MediaWiki's architecture. The UnicodeConverter extension represents one vector where unfiltered input can be processed and subsequently rendered without proper sanitization. Raw page views present another attack path where direct content display fails to validate user inputs that might contain malicious script tags. The SpecialIpblocklist, SpecialEmailuser, SpecialMaintenance, and ImagePage special pages each contain distinct code paths where user-provided parameters are not adequately escaped before being included in HTML output. These vulnerabilities align with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, where improper validation of user-supplied data leads to execution of malicious scripts in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-2185 extends beyond simple script execution to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within wiki environments. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to steal user session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even manipulate wiki content through persistent XSS attacks. The ability to execute SQL queries through these vectors suggests that the vulnerability may also enable data manipulation or extraction from the underlying database system. This dual nature of exploitation makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can compromise both the application layer and the data layer of the wiki infrastructure. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that these vulnerabilities affect core functionality pages that are frequently accessed by wiki users, making successful exploitation more likely and impactful.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-2185 should prioritize immediate remediation through upgrading to a patched version of MediaWiki, as this vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their MediaWiki installations, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in web responses. The principle of least privilege should be applied to limit the impact of any successful exploitation attempts, particularly by restricting administrative privileges and implementing proper access controls. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in special page access or unusual data submissions that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against XSS attacks. The vulnerability serves as a prime example of why regular security assessments and timely patch management are critical for maintaining secure web applications, particularly those handling user-generated content. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and proper input sanitization techniques that align with established security frameworks and standards.