CVE-2004-2199 in Duclassified
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in DUware DUclassified 4.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the message text.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2025
The CVE-2004-2199 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the DUware DUclassified 4.0 web application, classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation." This vulnerability exists within the message text handling functionality of the classified advertising platform, where user-supplied input fails to undergo proper sanitization before being rendered in web pages. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML code directly into the application's output, creating a persistent security risk that affects all users interacting with the vulnerable system. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly escape special characters in user-provided content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or HTML elements within the message text field of the classified advertising system. When other users view the affected page, the injected code executes in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no privileged access to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by any authenticated or unauthenticated user. The attack vector specifically targets the web application's rendering engine, where user input is directly embedded into HTML output without proper sanitization, creating a direct pathway for malicious code execution in victim browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-2199 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that align with ATT&CK technique T1531 for Account Access Removal and T1071.3 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS. The vulnerability allows attackers to establish persistent access through session manipulation, steal sensitive information from authenticated users, or redirect victims to phishing sites designed to capture credentials. Additionally, the vulnerability can be exploited to perform more advanced attacks such as cookie theft, which falls under ATT&CK technique T1546.001 for System Scripting. The impact is particularly severe for classified advertising platforms where users may share sensitive personal or business information, making the potential for data compromise and identity theft significant.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-2199 must address the core input validation and output encoding deficiencies that enable the vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization using allow-list validation approaches, ensuring all user-provided content undergoes strict filtering before being stored or displayed. Output encoding techniques, particularly HTML entity encoding, must be applied to all dynamic content rendered in web pages to prevent script execution. The implementation should follow security best practices such as those outlined in OWASP Top 10 2021, specifically addressing the prevention of cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Additionally, web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious input patterns, while regular security audits and code reviews should verify that all user input handling follows secure coding practices. The vulnerability also emphasizes the importance of keeping web applications updated with the latest security patches, as the affected DUware DUclassified 4.0 version likely contains multiple other unpatched security issues that compound the overall risk profile of the system.